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I 


THE 


HUMAN    KACE 


i:i  .1.  ■^     If,  I  . 


THE 


HUMAN     RACE 


BY 


LOUIS  FIGUIEE. 


ILLUSTRATED    BY 

TWO    KTTNDRED    AND    FORTY-TriREE    ENGRAVINGS    ON    WOOD, 

AXD    EIGHT   CHKOMOLITIIOOKAPHS. 


LONDON: 
CHAPMAN    AND    HALL,   193,  PICCADILLY. 


BRAOBURT,  BTAIO^  AND  CO.,  PBQITXBB,    WHITfBIAM. 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION. 

PAOB 

GHAFTBR  I. — Definition  of  Man — How  he  differs  from  other  Animftln — Origin 
of  Man — In  what  parts  of  the  Barth  did  he  first  appear ! — Unity  of 
Mankind,  evidence  in  sapport — What  is  understood  by  species  in 
Natural  History — ^Man  forms  but  one  species,  with  its  varieties  or  kinds 
— Classification  of  the  Human  Bace 1 

CHAPTBB  n. — General  characteristics  of  the  human  race — Organic  charac- 
teristics— Senses  and  the  nervous  system — Height — Skeleton — Cranium 
and  face — Colour  of  the  skin — Physiological  functions — Intellectual  cha- 
racteristics— Properties  of  human  intelligence — ^Languages  and  literature 
— Different  states  of  society — Primitive  industry — ^The  two  ages  of  pre- 
historic humanity 21 


THE   WHITE   RACR 
CHAPTER  I. 

EUROPEAN   BRANCH          . 41 

TXUTOiaC  FAMILY 41 

LATIN  FAMILY  .    • 66 

SLAYONLAN  FAMILY     .     .    .    • 113 

ORKBK  FAMILY 149 

CHAPTER  II. 

ARAMEAN   BRANCH 163 


LIBYAN    FAMILY 


PERSIAN    FAMILY 
OSOROIAN    FAMILY    . 
CIRCASSIAN    FAMILY 


163 


SEMITIC    FAMILY 163 


190 

203 
203 


▼i  CONTENTS. 


THE  YELLOW   EACE. 

CHAPTER  I. 

PAQK 

HYPERBOREAN   BRANCH 20G 

LAPP    FAMILT 20ft 

SAMOIEDE    FAMILY 209 

KAMT8CHADALE    FAMILY 209 

ESQUIMAUX    FAMILY 211 

TEMISIAN    FAMILY          •          • 217 

JUKAOHIRITE    AND    KORIAK    FAMILIES 217 

CHAPTER  II. 

MONGOLIAN    BRANCH 218 

MONGOL    FAMILY 218 

TUKOUSIAN    FAMILY      .           • 223 

YAKUT    FAMILY           • 223 

TURKISH    FAMILY 229 

CHAPTER   III. 

SINAIC    BRANCH 254 

CHINESE    FAMILY 256 

JAPANESE    FAMILY 302 

INDO-CHINESE    FAMILY 324 


THE   BEOWN   EACE. 
CHAPTER  I. 

HINDOO   BRANCH 33$ 

HINDOO    FAMILY 339 

MALABAR   FAMILY 354 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  II. 

PAOX 

ETHIOPIAN   BRANCH 355 

ABTSSIKIAN    FAMILY 355 

FELLAN    FAMILY 363 


CHAPTER  III. 

MALAY   BRANCH 3C5 

MALAY    FAMILY 365 

POLYNESIAN    FAMILY 380 

MICRONESIAN    FAMILY 400 


THE   EED   RACE. 

CHAPTER  I. 

SOUTHERN    BRANCH 407 

ANDIAN    FAMILY 407 

PAMPEAN    FAMILY 419 

GUARANY    FAMILY 433 

CHAPTER  II. 

NORTHERN   BRANCH 452 

SOUTHERN    FAMILY 452 

NORTH-EASTERN    FAMILY 460 

NORTH-WESTERN    FAMILY 492 


THE   BLACK  RACE. 

CHAPTER  I. 

WESTERN    BRANCH 495 

CAFFRB   FAMILY 495 


Tiii  CONTENTS. 

WESTEfiN   BRANCH— contmued  ^^^^ 

HOTTENTOT  FAMILY 498 

NSORO  FAMILY 500 

CHAPTER  II. 

EASTERN   BRANCH 618 

PAPUAN    FAMILY 518 

ANDAMAN    FAMILY .  531 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


THE  WHITE  RACE. 

na.  PAOB 

1.— MBK   AND   WOMEN   OF    ANATOLIA 5 

2. — SAMOIEDBS    OF   THB    NORTH    CAPE 7 

3.— WAKE   OF    ICELANDIC    PEASANTS   IN    A    BARN          ....  42 

4. — ^WOMEN    OF   STAVANOER,   NORWAY 43 

5. — CITIZEN    OF   STAVANOER 44 

6. — COSTUMES    OF   THE    TELEMARK  (NORWAY) 45 

7.— WOMEN    OF    CHRISTIANSUND  (NORWAY) 46 

8. —BOY   AND   GIRL    OF    THE    LAWERORAND   (NORWAY)  '  .                      .      .  47 

9,  10. — 8UABIANS  (8TUTT0ARD) 48 

11,  12. — SUABIANS  (STUTTOARD) 60 

13. — ^BAVARLINS     .           .           . 52 

14. — BADENEBS 53 

15. — ENGLISHMAN             .          .       • 63 

16. — DRUIDS,   GAULS,   AND   FRANKS 70 

17.— FRENCHMAN 75 

18.— CATTLE-DEALER   OF   CORDOVA 81 

* 

19. — ^NATIVES    OF   TOLEDO 83 

20.— SPANISH    PEASANT 84 

21. — ^A    MADRID    WINE-SHOP 85 

22. — SPANISH    LADY  AND   DUENNA 88 

23. — THE   FANDANGO 89 

24.— THE   BOLERO 91 

25.— FISH    VENDORS   AT   OPORTO 92 

26u — ROMAN    PEASANT    GIRL 94 


X  LIST   OP   ILLUSTEATIONS. 

no.  PAOB 

27.— ROMAN   PEASANTS 95 

28. — TOUNO   OERL   OF   THE    TRANSTEVSRA 96 

29.— STREET   AT   TTVOLI 98 

30. — A    CARDINAL    ENTERING    THE    VATICAN 99 

31. —EXALTATION    OF    POPE    PIUS    IX 100 

32. — A    MACARONI    SHOP   AT    NAPLES 103 

33.— NEAPOLITAN   ICED-WATBR   SELLER 104 

34.— NEAPOLITAN    PEASANT   WOMAN                        .                      .           .  104 

35. — ITINERANT    TRADER    OF    NAPLES 105 

36. — AN   ACQUAJOLO,   AT   NAPLES 106 

37.— WALACHIAN 108 

38. — L.U>Y    OF    BUCHAREST 110 

39. — WALACHIAN    WOMAN Ill 

40.— NOBLE    BOSNIAK    MUSSULMAN 112 

41.— RUSSIAN    SENTINEL,   RIGA 115 

42. — RUSSIAN    DEVOTEES,    RIGA 117 

43. — TRAFFIC    IN    ST.    PETERSBURG 121 

44. — A    RUSSIAN    TAVERN 122 

45.— INTERIOR    OF    AN    I8BA 123 

46.— LrV'ONIAN    PEASANTS 124 

47.— TARTAR    OF    KASAK 125 

48. — TARTAR    OF    THE    CAUCASUS 126 

49. — TARTAR    OF    THE    CAUCASUS 127 

50. — RUSSIAN    NORTH-SEA    PILOT         .           . 128 

51.  — OSTIAK    HUT 130 

52. — ISIGANE   OF    VOAKOVAR 131 

53.— SLAVONIAN    PEASANT 132 

54. — A    PEASANT    OF    ESSEK 133 

55. — HERDSMEN    OF    THE    MILITARY    CONFINES 135 

56.— WOMAN    OF    THE    MILITARY    CONFINES 136 

57. — ORANZERS,   AND    THEIR    GUARD-HOUSE 138 

58. — T8IGANE   PRISONER 139 

59.— BOSNIAK    PEASANT 142 

60.— BOSNIAK    PEASANT    WOMAN 143 

61. — BOSNIAK    MERCHANT 144 


LIST    OP   ILLUSTRATIONS.  xi 

10^  PAOB 

62. — WOMEN   OF   PESTH 146 

63. — HUNOABIANS 146 

64. — ^A    HUNGARIAN    GENTLEMAN 147 

65. — HUNGARIANS 14S 

66.~OREEKa   OF   ATHENS 151 

67. — A    GREEK    HOUSEHOLD 153 

68. — INTERIOR    OF    THE    AGORA    AT    ATHENS 156 

69.—fAtE    OF    THE   TEMPLE    OF   JUPITER,    ATHENS          ....  169 

70. — ALBANIAN    WOMAN 161 

71. — MOORISH    COFFEE-HOUSE   AT   SIDI-BOW-SAID,    NEAR    TUNIS     .           .  164 

72. — GRINDING    WHEAT    IN    THE    KABYLIA 169 

73.— BL/LBYLE    JEWELLERS 171 

74.— KOPTS    OF    THE    TEMPLE   OF    KRANAH 175 

75.— A    FELLAH    WOMAN    AND   CHILDREN 177 

76. — ^A    FELLAH    DONKEY   BOY 178 

77. — A    LADY    OF    CAIRO 181 

78. — ALMA    OR    DANCING    GIRL 182 

79. — WANDERING    ARABS 185 

80. — JEW  OF  BUCHAREST 186 

81. — BBYROUT 187 

82.— MARONITES   OF    LIBANU8 189 

83. — HADY-MERZA-AGHAZZI 192 

84. — PERSIAN    TYPES 194 

85. — PERSIAN    NOBLEMEN 195 

86. — PERSIAN    WOMEN 196 

87.— LOUTY  AND    BAKTYAN 197 

88. — AN    ARMENIAN    DR.\WING-ROOM 200 

89.— GEORGIANS 202 


THE  YELLOW  RACE. 

90. —LAPLANDERS 207 

91. — ^A    LAPP   CRADLE 209 

92.— SAMOIEDES 210 


zii  LIST  OF   ILLUSTBATIONS. 

no.  PAOB 

93.— BSQUIMAUX   8UMXSK  SNGAMPMSMT 212 

di.— BSQUIMAUX   WINTXB   ENCAMPMENT 213 

95.— ESQUIMAUX   VILLAOE 214 

96.— ESQUIMAUX   CHIEF 215 

97.— ESQUIMAUX    BIBB-GATOHEE 216 

98.— TOUNa   ESQUIMAUX 217 

99.— A   MONGOL   TARTAR 219 

00.— BUBIATS    E800BTINO   MISS   CHBISTIANI 222 

01.— MANCHU8   SOLDIERS 224 

02.— YAKUTS 225 

03.— A    YAKUT   WOMAN 227 

04.— YAKUT  VILLAOBRS 230 

06.— YAKUT    PRIESTS 231 

06.— TURCOMAN    ENCAMPMENT 234 

07.— KIROHIS   FUNERAL    RITES 237 

08.— A   HAREM 241 

09.— A    HAREM   SUPPER 243 

10.— TURKISH    LADIES   VISITING 245 

11.— A    TURKISH    BARBER 249 

12. — TURKISH   PORTER 251 

13. — INDO-CHINESE    OF   STUNG   TRENG 254 

14. — ^INDO-CHINESE   OF   LAOS 255 

15. — A   YOUNG   CHINESE 257 

16.— CHINESE  SHOPKEEPER 258 

17.— CHINESE   LADY 259 

18.— CHINESE   WOMAN                               260 

19.— mandarin's    DAUGHTER 261 

20.— CHINESE   BOUDOIR 264 

21. — CHINESE   SITTING-ROOM 269 

22.— OPIUM-SMOKERS 271 

23. — CHINESE   AGRICULTURE 273 

24.— CHINESE  FISHING 275 

25. — THE   CUSTOM-HOUSE   AT   SHANGHAI 277 

26.— CHINESE   BONZE 281 

27. — CHINESE   SCHOOLMASTER 283 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRAIIONS. 


t  LoooKonoiT 

I  PLAT  . 

130.— A  CHnim  jitnk 


132.— CHnnBB  Tuvmniaceia 

133.~CEC<EBE  rUKKKmHTS 

134.— A  CHiNm  00I7XT  or  jusncx 
135.— .cHuixas  soLDiXHi 

13S.— CHtHISK  TB007KB     . 

137.— THK    ORU.T    WAIX   or    CHINA 

138. — JATAMBM 

139.— A  jAPANmi  rATBMs    . 

140. — JAPAKESB  aOLDmt   . 


142.— JAFA»£SE   PAUKgUlN 311 

11S.—TBM  taIcoon's  ocabds 315 

lU.— A   last  or  THB  COtTBT 317 

14(L— A   KAMU  TZMPLK,  JAPAK S2I 

146. — jAPAxm  FAOODA 328 

U7.— BctBMnB  NOBLn 325 

148.- BttBmai  LADT 326 

I4B. — WOMXH  or  BAKKOK 327 

ISa— siAinsi  DoKBiTto 328 

ISl.— siAinsx  Lu>]XB  fiimfo 320 

1S2.— TOMB  or  A  BONZI,  AT   LAOS 330 


164.— THI  PBIHO-BOTAL  OF  SUM 


THE  BROWN  RACE. 


156.- BATim  or  etdkbabad  . 
Iff7.— A  BAHiAir  or  eiTBAT    . 

U8.— AB  AOBD  VMM 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


ISS.—A  rARSU  OINTLBMAH 
ICO.— BIR  DALUt  JUNO,  K.B.I.  . 
ISl.— HAUTCB  OIRL  OF  BABODA 
162. — A  OOOLIE  0*  THE  OBATS 
163.~FAOODA  AT  SIBKHIHGRAH 
164. — PAIdUiqUIH 


166.— NOUBRa   OF    THE   WHITE    NILE 
167.— A    NODML    CHIBF      . 

169. — MALAY    "KOSNING    A    MDCK" 


172— JAVAKESB    BAKCISO   C 


THE  RED   RACE. 

179. — HDASOAfi,    THIRTEENTH   EMFEKOR    OF    THE    IKCAS 
ISO. — COYA    CAECANA,    EMPKESa    OF    THE   dCAS 

181.— AN  AMTia  raniAK 

162.— AH    ANTIS    INDIAN 

1S3.— SDiaiEB    SB&I>    or    THE    ANTIS         .... 

184.— ANTia    INDLAHa   FIBBING 

18^.— PEKU\1AN   UTEBFEXTIR 


187.— PKCHBBAT    HDTB     .... 
18S.— FATAOONIAN         .... 
189. — A  PATAOONIAH  KORas  EACBIFICE 


LIST   OP   ILLUSTRATIONS.  xt 

no.  PAQB 

190. —A   BOLIVTAN   CHIEF 426 

191. — ^A  BOAT    ON    THE    RIO    NSOBO 429 

192.  — EXAMINADOR    OF    CHILI 432 

193. — ^A   PARAGUAYAN   MESSENGER 437 

194.— BRAZILIAN    NEGRO 440 

195. — INDIAN    WOMAN    OF    BRAZIL 441 

196. — NATIVE    OF    MANAOS,    BRAZIL 443 

197. — BRAZILIAN    NEGRESSES 445 

198.— BRAZILIAN    DWELLING 446 

199. — ^NEGROS    OF    BAHIA 447 

200. — NATIVES    OF    FRENCH   GUYANA 449 

201. — BOTOCUDOS 451 

202. — INDIAN   OF    THE    MEXICAN    COAST' 453 

203,    204.— INDIANS    OF    THE   MEXICAN   COAST 454 

205. — MEXICAN    INDIAN    WOMAN 456 

206. — MEXICAN    PICADOR 457 

207.— THE    ROLDAU    BRIDGE    MARKET,    MEXICO 458 

208. — MEXICAN    HATTER 459 

209. — MEXICAN    HAWKER 459 

210.— CREEK   INDIANS 463 

211. — ENCAMPMENT    OF    SIOUX    INDIANS 465 

212. — SIOUX   WARRIOR 466 

213.— A  SIOUX  CHIEF 467 

214. — CROW   INDIANS    IN   COUNCIL 470 

215. — PAWNEE    INDL/LNS 473 

216.  ~ A   CHAYENE  (SHIENNES)  CHIEF 475 

217.— A   YUTB   CHIEF 477 

218. — CHOCTAW   INDIANS   PLAYING   BALL 479 

219. — COMANCHE   INDL/LNS 481 

220.— A  COMANCHE   CAMP 482 

221. — A   BUFFALO    HUNT 483 

222. — MOHAWK    INDIANS 485 

223. — FLAT-HEAD  INDIANS 487 

224.— NAYA    INDIANS 489 

225.— A  CROW  CHIEF 491 


• 


xn  LIST   OP  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


THE  BLACK  RACE. 

FIO.  PAOB 

226.— A  CAFFBE 496 

227. — NATIVE   OF   THE   MOZAMBIQUE   COAST 497 

228. — ^THE  HOTTENTOT   VENQS 499 

229.— A    ZANZIBAR   NEGRO 503 

290. — ZANZIBAR   NEGRESSES 507 

23L— A   NEGRO   VILLAGE     . 511 

232. — nSHING   ON   THE    UPPER   SENEGAL 513 

233. — A    ZAMBESI   NEGRESS 515 

234 — THAKOMBAU,    KING    OF    THE   FIJI    ISLANDS 520 

235. — NATIVE   OF   FIJI 521 

236.— NATIVE  OP  FIJI 522 

237. — A   TEMPLE   OF   CANNIBALISM 523 

238.— A    FIJIAN   DANCE 525 

239.— YOUNG   NATIVE   OF    NEW    CALEDONIA 527 

240.— NATIVE   OF    NEW    CALEDONIA 529 

241.— ENCAMPMENT    OF    NATIVE   AUSTRALIANS 533 

242. — NATIVE   AUSTRALIAN 535 

243. — AN    AUSTRALIAN    GRAVE 536 


THE    HUMAN    KACE. 


INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Definition  of  Man — How  ho  differs  from  other  Animals— Origin  of  Man — In  what 
parts  of  the  Earth  did  he  first  appear  ?— Unity  of  Mankind,  evidence  in 
support — What  is  understood  by  species  in  Natural  History — Man  forms  but 
one  species,  with  its  yarieties  or  kinds — Classification  of  the  Human  Race. 

What  is  man  ?  A  profound  thinker,  Cardinal  de  Bonald,  has 
said :  "  Man  is  an  intelligence  assisted  by  organs."  We  would  fain 
adopt  this  definition,  which  brings  into  relief  the  true  attribute  of 
man,  intelligence,  were  it  not  defective  in  drawing  no  sufficient 
distinction  between  man  and  the  brute.  It  is  a  fact  that  animals 
are  intelligent  and  that  their  intelligence  is  assisted  by  organs. 
But  their  intelligence  is  infinitely  inferior  to  that  of  man.  It  does 
not  extend  beyond  the  necessities  of  attack  and  defence,  the  power 
of  seeking  food,  and  a  small  number  of  affections  or  passions,  whose 
very  limited  scope  merely  extends  to  material  wants.  With  man, 
on  the  other  hand,  intelligence  is  of  a  high  order,  although  its 
range  is  limited,  and  it  is  often  arrested,  powerless  and  mute» 
before  the  problems  itself  proposes.  In  bodily  formation,  man  is 
an  animaly  he  lives  in  a  material  envelope,  of  which  the  structure 
is  that  of  the  Mammalia ;  but  he  far  surpasses  the  animal  in  the 
extent  of  his  intellectual  faculties.  The  definition  of  man  must 
therefore  establish  this  relation  which  animals  bear  to  ourselves, 
and  indicate,  if  possible,  the  degree  which  separates  them.  For 
this  reason  we  shall  defiine  man :  an  organized,  intelligent  being f 
endowed  with  the  faculty  of  abstraction. 

To  give  beyond  this  a  perfectly  satisfactory  definition  of  man  is 

B 


I 


2  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

impossible  :  first,  because,  a  definition,  being  but  the  expression  < 
a  theory,  which  rarely  commands  universal  assent,  is  liable  to  I 
rejected  witli  the  theory  itself;  and  secondly,  because  a  perfect! 
accurate  definition  supposes  an  absolute  knowledge  of  the  subjec 
of  which  absolute  knowledge  our  understanding  is  incapable.  ] 
has  been  well  said  that  a  correct  definition  can  be  famished  b 
none  but  divine  power.  Nothing  is  more  true  than  this,  and  wei 
we  able  to  give  of  our  own  species  a  definition  rigorously  correc 
we  should  indeed  possess  absolute  knowledge. 

The  trouble  we  have  to  define  aright  the  being  about  to  fon 
the  subject  of  our  investigation  is  but  a  forecast  of  the  diflBculti€ 
we  shall  meet  when  we  endeavour  to  reason  upon  and  to  classii 
man.  He  who  ventures  to  fathom  the  problems  of  human  nature 
physical,  intellectual  or  moral,  is  arrested  at  every  step.  Eac 
moment  he  must  confess  his  powerlessness  to  solve  the  question 
which  arise,  and  at  times  is  forced  to  content  himself  with  merel 
suggesting  them.  This  can  be  explained.  Man  is  the  last  lin 
of  visible  creation ;  with  him  closes  the  series  of  living  being 
which  we  are  permitted  to  contemplate.  Beyond  him  ther 
extends,  in  a  world  hidden  from  our  view,  a  train  of  beings  of 
new  order,  endowed  with  faculties  superior  and  inaccessible  to  on 
comprehension,  mysterious  phalanxes,  whose  place  of  abode  eve 
is  unknown  to  us,  and  who,  after  us,  form  the  next  step  in  th 
infinite  progression  of  living  creatures  by  whom  the  universe  i 
peopled.  Situate,  as  he  is,  on  the  confines  of  this  unknown  work 
on  the  very  threshold  of  this  domain,  which  his  eye,  if  not  hi 
thoughts  may  not  penetrate,  man  shares  to  some  extent  the  attr 
butes  belonging  to  those  beings  who  follow  him  in  the  econom 
of  nature.  Doubtless,  it  is  this  which  makes  it  so  difficult  for  n 
to  comprehend  the  actual  essence  of  man,  his  destiny,  his  origi 
and  his  end. 

These  reflections  have  been  called  for  in  order  to  supply  a 
explanation  of  the  frequent  admissions  of  helplessness  which  w 
shall  be  obliged  to  make  in  this  cursory  Introduction,  when  w 
investigate  the  origin  of  man,  the  period  of  his  first  appearanc 
on  the  globe,  the  unity  or  division  of  our  species,  the  classifies 
tion  of  the  human  race,  &c.  If  to  many  of  these  questions  w 
reply  with  doubt  and  uncertainty,  the  reader  must  not  lay  th 
blame  at  the  feet  of  science,  but  must  search  for  the  cause  in  th 
impenetrable  laws  of  nature* 


INTRODUCTION.  3 

And  first,  whence  comes  man?  Wlierefore  does  he  exist? 
To  this  we  can  make  no  reply,  the  problem  is  beyond  the  reach 
of  human  thought.  But  we  may  at  least  enquire,  since  this 
question  has  been  largely  debated  by  tlie  learned,  whether  man 
was  at  once  constituted  such  as  he  is,  or  whether  he  originally 
existed  in  some  other  animal  form,  which  has  been  modified  in 
its  anatomical  structure  by  time  and  circumstances.  In  other 
words,  is  it  true,  as  has  been  pretended  by  various  of  our  con- 
temporaries, that  man  is  the  result  of  the  organic  improvement 
of  a  particular  race  of  apes,  wliidi  race  forms  a  link  between  the 
apes  with  which  we  are  familial*  and  the  first  man  ? 

We  have  already  treated  and  discussed  this  question  more 
fully  in  the  volume  which  preceded  this.  We  have  shown,  in 
"Primitive  Man,"  that  man  is  not  derived,  by  a  process  of 
organic  transformation,  from  any  animal,  and  that  he  includes 
the  ape  not  more  than  the  whale  among  his  ancestrj' ;  but  that 
he  is  the  product  of  a  special  creation. 

Nevertheless,  whether  its  creation  be  special  or  the  result  of 
modification,  the  human  species  has  not  always  existed.  There 
is,  then,  a  first  cause  for  its  production.  What  is  this  ?  Here 
is  again  a  problem  which  surpasses  our  understanding.  Let  us 
say,  my  readers,  that  the  creation  of  the  human  species  was  an 
act  of  God,  that  man  is  one  of  the  children  of  the  great  arbiter 
of  the  universe,  and  we  shall  have  given  to  this  question  the 
only  response  which  can  content  at  once  our  feelings  and  our 
reason. 

But  let  us  summon  questions  more  accessible  to  our  compre- 
hension, with  which  the  mind  is  more  at  ease,  and  upon  which 
science  can  exercise  its  functions.  To  what  period  should  we  refer 
the  first  appearance  of  man  upon  the  globe  ?  In  "Primitive  Man  " 
we  have  answered  this  question  as  far  as  it  can  be.  We  have  con- 
sidered the  opinion  of  some  writers  who  carry  the  first  appearance 
of  man  as  far  back  as  the  tertiary  period.  Rejecting  this  date 
on  account  of  the  insufficiency  of  the  evidence  produced,  we,  in 
common  with  most  naturalists,  have  admitted,  that  man  appeared 
for  the  first  time  upon  our  globe  at  the  commencement  of  the 
quaternary  period,  that  is  to  say,  before  the  geological  pheno- 
menon of  the  deluge  and  previous  to  the  glacial  period  which 
preceded  this  great  terrestrial  cataclysm.  To  fix  the  birth  of 
man  in  the  tertiary  period  would  be  to  travel  out  of  facts  now 

B  2 


4  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

within  the   ken  of  science,  and  to  substitute  for  observation, 
conjecture  and  h}T)othesis. 

By  saying  that  man  appeared  for  the  first  time  upon  the  globe 
at  the  commencement  of  the  quaternary  period,  we  establish  the 
fact,  which  is  agreeable  to  the  cosmogony  of  Moses,  that  man  was 
formed  after  the  other  animals,  and  that  by  his  advent  he 
crowned  the  edifice  of  animal  creation. 

At  the  quaternary  period  almost  all  the  animals  of  our  time 
had  already  seen  the  light,  and  a  certain  number  of  animal 
species  existed,  which  were  shortly  to  disappear.  When  man 
was  created,  the  mammoth,  the  great  bear,  the  cave  tiger,  and 
the  cervus  megaceros,  animals  more  bulky,  more  robust  and 
more  agile  than  the  corresponding  species  of  our  time,  filled  the 
forests  and  peopled  the  plains.  The  fitst  men  were  therefore 
contemporary  with  the  woolly  elephant,  the  cave  bear  and  tiger ; 
tliey  had  to  contend  with  these  savage  phalanxes,  as  formidable 
in  their  number  as  their  strength.  Nevertheless,  in  obedience  to 
the  laws  of  nature,  these  animals  were  to  disappear  from  the 
globe  and  give  place  to  smaller  or  different  species,  whilst  man, 
persisting  in  the  opposite  dii'ection,  increased  and  multiplied,  as 
the  Scripture  has  said,  and  gi'adually  spread  into  all  inhabitable 
countides,  taking  possession  of  his  empire  which  daily  increased 
with  the  progi-ess  of  his  intelligence. 

In  **  Primitive  Man  "  we  have  given  the  history  of  the  fijrst 
steps  of  humanit}'. 

We  have  traced  the  origin  and  progi-ess  of  civilization,  from 
the  moment  when  man  was  cast,  feeble,  wretched  and  naked,  in 
the  midst  of  a  hostile  and  savage  brute  population,  to  the  day 
when  his  power,  resting  upon  a  firm  basis,  changed  little  by  little 
the  face  of  the  inhabited  earth. 

We  shall  not  refer  to  this  at  greater  length,  since  in  "  Primitive 
Man  "  we  have  ti*eated  it  fully,  and  in  unison  with  the  actual  dis- 
coveries of  science.  But  there  is  a  very  different  problem  to  the 
solution  of  which  we  shall  apply  ourselves  in  the  following  pages. 
Did  man  see  the  light  at  any  one  spot  of  the  earth,  and  at  that 
alone,  and  is  it  possible  to  indicate  the  region  which  was,  so  to 
say,  the  cradle  of  humanity  ?  Or,  are  we  to  believe  that,  in  the 
first  instance,  man  appeared  in  several  places  at  the  same  time  ? 
That  he  was  created  and  has  always  remained  in  the  very 
localities  he  now  inhabits?    That  the  Negro  was  bom  in  the 


6  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

burning  regions  of  Central  Africa,  the  Laplander  or  the  Mon- 
golian in  the  cold  regions  to  which  he  is  now  confined  ? 

To  this  question  a  satisfactory  reply  can  be  given  by  reference 
to  facts  furnished  by  natural  histor}'.  But  in  seeking  a  triumph, 
for  our  opinion  we  shall  have  to  combat  the  arguments  of  a 
hostile  doctrine.  As  we  said  in  the  early  part  of  this  Introduc- 
tion, we  must  ever  be  prepared  to  encounter  difficulties,  to 
dissipate  uncertainties,  and  to  vie  with  other  theories  in  each 
point  of  the  history  of  humanity  which  we  may  seek  to  fathom. 

There  is  a  school  of  philosophers  who  assert  that  man  was 
manifold  in  his  creation,  that  each  type  of  humanity  originated 
in  the  region  to  which  it  is  now  attached,  and  that  it  was  not 
emigration  followed  by  the  action  of  climate,  circumstances,  and 
customs  which  gave  birth  to  the  different  races  of  man. 

This  opinion  has  been  upheld  in  a  work  by  M.  Georges 
Pouchet,  son  of  the  well-known  naturalist  of  Rouen.  But,  one 
has  only  to  read  his  essay  upon  la  plurallte  des  races  humaines,  to 
be  convinced  that  the  author,  like  others  of  his  school,  as  ardent 
in  demolition  as  powerless  in  construction,  having  chosen  to 
act  the  easy  part  of  a  critic,  exhibits  unprecedented  weakness 
when  called  upon  to  supply  a  system  in  the  place  of  that  he 
contradicts. 

If  there  existed  several  centres  of  human  creation,  they  should 
be  indicated,  and  it  should  be  shown  that  the  men  who  dwell 
there  now-a-days  have  never  been  connected  with  other  popula- 
tions. M.  Georges  Pouchet  preserves  prudent  silence  upon  this 
question;  he  avoids  defining  the  locus  of  any  one  of  these 
supposed  multiple  creations.  Such  a  faulty  ai-gument  speaks 
volumes  for  the  doctrine. 

We,  on  our  part^  think  that  man  had  on  the  globe  one  centre 
of  creation,  that,  fixed  in  the  first  instance  in  a  particular  region, 
he  has  radiated  in  every  direction  fi-om  that  point,  and  by  his 
wanderings  coupled  with  the  rapid  multiplication  of  his  de- 
scendants, he  has  ultimately  peopled  all  the  inhabitable  regions 
of  the  earth. 

In  order  to  demonstrate  the  truth  of  this  proposition,  we  will 
examine  what  takes  place  in  connection  with  other  organized 
beings,  that  is  to  say,  with  animals  and  plants,  and  then  apply 
this  class  of  facts  to  man :  this  is  observation  and  induction,  the 
only  logical  process  to  which  we  can  here  resort. 


'    THE    NORTH    CAPB. 


8  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

And  what  do  botanical  and  zoological  geography  teach  ?  They 
show  us  that  plants  and  animals  have  each  their  native  locality, 
from  which  they  but  seldom  depart,  and  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  cite  any  plant  or  animal  which  lives  indifferently  in 
all  countries  of  the  globe,  without  having  been  transported  thither 
by  human  industry.  The  earth  is,  so  to  speak,  divided  into  a 
certain  number  of  zones,  which  have  their  particular  vegetable 
and  animal  life.  These  are  so  many  natural  provinces,  all  of 
small  extent,  which  represent  veritable  centres  of  creation. 
The  cedar,  peculiar  to  the  mountains  of  Lebanon,  existed  in  this 
region  alone  before  it  was  transpoi-ted  to  other  climates ;  and  the 
coflfee-plant  had  grown  only  in  Ai'abia,  before  it  was  acclimatized 
in  South  America.  We  could  quote  the  names  of  many  vege- 
tables whose  natural  abode  is  very  sharply  defined,  but  these 
instances  ai'e  sufficient  to  exemplify  the  general  rule  of  which  we 
treat. 

We  need  hardly  say  that  animals,  like  plants,  are  attached  to 
various  localities  which  they  rai'ely  quit  with  impunity,  since  they 
have  not  the  faculty  of  accUmatizing  themselves  at  will.  The 
elephant  lives  only  in  India  and  in  certain  parts  of  Africa ;  the 
hippopotamus  and  giraffe  in  other  countries  of  the  same  con- 
tinent ;  monkeys  exist  in  very  few  poilions  of  tlie  globe,  and  if 
we  consider  their  different  species,  we  shall  find  that  the  place 
of  abode  of  each  species  is  very  limited.  For  instance,  of  the 
larger  apes,  the  orang-outang  is  found  only  in  Borneo  and 
Sumatra,  and  the  gorilla  in  a  small  comer  of  Western  Africa. 
Had  man  originated  in  all  those  places  where  now  his  different 
races  are  found,  he  would  stand  alone  as  an  exception  among 
organized  beings. 

Keasoning  then  by  induction,  that  is,  ai)plying  to  man  all  that 
we  observe  to  obtain  generally  among  beings  living  on  the 
surface  of  the  globe,  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  human 
species,  in  common  with  every  vegetable  or  animal  species,  had 
but  one  centre  of  creation. 

Can  we  now  extend  our  investigation  and  determine  the  par- 
ticular spot  of  the  eailli  whence  man  first  came  ?  It  is  probable 
that  man  first  saw  the  day  on  the  plains  of  Central  Asia,  and 
that  it  was  from  this  point  that  by  degrees  he  spread  over  the 
whole  earth.  We  shall  proceed  to  state  the  facts  which  support 
this  opinion. 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

Around  the  central  tableland  of  Asia,  are  found  the  three 
organic  and  fundamental  types  of  man,  that  is  to  say,  the  white, 
the  yellow,  and  the  black.  The  black  type  has  been  somewhat 
scattered,  although  it  is  still  found  in  the  south  of  Japan,  in  the 
Malay  Peninsula,  in  the  Andaman  Isles,  and  in  the  Philippines, 
at  Formosa.  The  yellow  type  forms  a  large  portion  of  the  actual 
population  of  Asia,  and  it  is  well-known  whence  came  those  white 
hordes  that  invaded  Emope  at  times  prehistoric  and  in  more 
recent  ages ;  those  conquerors  belonged  to  the  Ar}'an  or  Persian 
race,  and  they  came  from  Centi*al  Asia.  We  shall  see  later  on, 
that  the  different  languages  of  the  globe  resolve  themselves  into 
three  fundamental  forms  :  monosyllabic  languages,  in  which  each 
word  contains  but  one  syllable ;  agglutuiative  languages,  in  which 
the  words  are  connected ;  and  inflected  languages,  which  are  the 
same  as  those  spoken  in  Europe.  Now,  those  three  general 
forms  of  language  are,  at  the  present  day,  to  be  met  with  around 
the  central  tableland  of  Asia.  The  monosyllabic  language  is 
spoken  throughout  China  and  in  the  different  states  connected 
with  that  empire.  The  agglutinative  languages  are  spoken  to 
the  north  of  this  plain,  and  extend  as  far  as  Europe.  And, 
lastly,  inflected  languages  are  found  in  all  that  portion  of  Asia 
which  is  occupied  by  the  white  race.. 

Around  the  central  tableland  of  Asia,  we  thus  find  not  only 
the  three  fundamental  types  of  the  human  species,  but  the  three 
types  of  human  speech.  Does  not  this,  tlierefore,  afford  ground 
for  presumption,  if  not  actual  i^roof,  that  man  first  appeai'ed  in 
this  very  region  which  Scripture  assigns  as  the  birthplace  of  the 
human  race  ? 

It  is  from  this  central  tableland  of  Asia,  radiating  so  to  say, 
around  this  point  of  origin,  that  Man  has  progressively  occupied 
every  part  of  the  earth. 

Migration  commenced  at  a  very  early  i)eriod,  the  facility  with 
which  our  species  becomes  habituated  to  every  climate  and 
accommodates  itself  to  variations  of  temperature,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  nomadic  character  which  distinguished  primitive 
populations,  explains  to  us  the  displacement  of  the  earlier  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth.  Soon,  means  of  navigation,  although  rude, 
were  added  to  the  power  of  travelling  by  land,  and  man  passed 
from  the  continent  to  distant  islands,  and  thus  peopled  the 
archipelagos  as  well  as  the  mainland.     By  means  of  transport, 


10  THE    HUMAN    RACK 

effected  in  canoes  formed  from  the  trunks  of  trees  barely  hollowed 
out,  the  archipelagos  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  finally  Australia, 
were  gradually  peopled. 

The  American  continent  formed  no  exception  to  this  law  of  the 
invasion  of  the  globe  by  the  emigration  of  human  phalanxes.  It 
is  a  matter  of  no  great  difficulty  to  pass  from  Asia  to  America, 
across  Behring's  Straits,  which  are  almost  always  covered  with 
ice,  thus  permitting  of  almost  a  dry  passage  from  one  continent 
to  the  other.  Thus  it  is  that  the  inhabitants  of  Northern  Asia 
have  found  their  way  into  the  north  of  the  New  World. 

This  communication  of  one  terrestial  hemisphere  with  the 
other  is  less  surprising  when  we  consider  what  modem  historical 
works  have  shown,  namely,  that  already  about  the  tenth  centui'y, 
which  would  be  nearly  400  years  before  Christopher  Columbus, 
navigators  from  the  coast  of  Norway  had  penetrated  to  the  other 
hemisphere.  The  inhabitants  of  Mexico  and  Chili  possess  most 
authentic  historical  archives,  which  prove  that  a  most  advanced 
civilization  flourished  there  at  an  early  period.  Gigantic  monu- 
ments which  still  remain,  beai'  witness  to  the  great  antiquity  of  the 
civilization  of  tlie  Incas  (Peru)  and  of  the  Aztecs  (Mexico).  It  is 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  inhabitants  of  America,  who  thus, 
advanced  at  a  rapid  pace  in  the  path  of  civilization,  descended 
from  the  hordes  of  Noi'them  Asia  which  reached  tlie  New  World 
by  traversing  the  ice  of  Behring*s  Straits. 

To  explain,  therefore,  the  presence  of  man  upon  all  parts  of  the 
continent,  and  in  the  islands,  it  is  not  necessary  to  insist  upon  the 
existence  of  several  centres,  where  our  species  was  created.  If 
popular  traditions  went  to  show  that  all  the  regions  now  in- 
habited have  always  been  occupied  by  the  same  people,  and  tliat 
those  who  are  found  there  have  constantly  lived  in  tlie  same 
l)lace8,  there  might  be  reason  to  admit  the  hypothesis  of  multiple 
creations  of  the  human  race  ;  but,  on  the  contrarj^  traditions  for 
the  most  part  teach  us  that  each  coimtry  has  been  peopled  pro- 
gi'essively  by  means  of  conquest  or  emigration.  Tradition  shows 
that  the  nomadic  state  of  existence  has  universally  preceded  fixed 
settlements.  It  is,  therefore,  probable  that  the  first  men  were  con- 
stantly on  the  move.  A  flood  of  barbarians,  coming  from  central 
Asia,  overflowed  the  Roman  Empire,  and  the  Vandals  penetrated 
even  into  Africa.  Modem  migrations  have  been  conducted  on  a 
still  vaster  scale,  for  at  the  present  day  we  find  America  almost 


INTRODUCTION.  II 

wholly  occupied  by  Europeans ;  English,  Spanish  and  other 
people  of  the  Latin  race  fill  the  vast  American  hemisphere,  and 
the  primitive  populations  of  the  New  World  have  almost  entirely 
disappeared,  annihilated  by  the  iron  3'oke  of  the  conqueror. 

The  continent  of  Asia  was  peopled  Uttle  by  little  by  branches 
of  the  Aryan  race,  who  came  down  from  the  plains  of  Central  Asia, 
directing  their  course  towards  India.  As  to  Africa :  that  con- 
tinent received  its  contingent  of  population  through  the  Isthmus 
of  Suez,  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  and  the  coasts  of  Arabia,  by  the 
aid  of  navigation. 

There  is  therefore  nothing  to  show  that  humanity  had  several 
distinct  nuclei.  It  is  clear  that  man  started  from  one  point  alone, 
and  that  through  his  power  of  adapting  himself  to  the  most 
different  climates,  he  has,  little  by  httle,  covered  the  whole  face 
of  the  inhabitable  eartli. 

The  Bible  proclaimed,  long  before  the  studies  of  modem 
anthropologists  made  it  known,  tliis  principle  of  the  unity  of  the 
human  species.  In  like  manner  as  the  Bible  opposed  its  mono- 
theistic cosmogony  to  the  different  cosmogonies  of  oriental  or 
pagan  antiquity,  in  Uke  manner  it  opposes  to  the  erroneous 
dogmas  of  the  religions  and  philosophies  of  antiquity,  this  doc- 
trine sublime  and  simple  in  itself,  that  man,  the  last  child  of 
creation,  rules  it  as  its  appointed  head  and  by  his  moral  power. 
Holy  Writ,  indeed,  says  to  us:  **  God  has  created  tlie  whole  human 
race  of  one  flesh.**  * 

There  is  another  problem.  Did  the  wliite,  the  yellow,  and  the 
black  man  exist  from  the  first  moment  of  the  appearance  of  our 
species  upon  the  globe,  or  have  we  to  explain  the  formation  of 
these  three  fundamental  races  by  the  action  of  climate,  by  any 
special  form  of  nourishment,  the  result  of  local  resources ;  in 
other  words,  by  the  action  of  the  soil,  if  we  may  use  the  expres- 
sion of  a  conscientious  autlior,  M.  Tremaux  ?  t 

Innumerable  dissertations  have  been  written  with  a  view  of  ex- 
plaining the  origin  of  these  three  races,  and  of  connecting  them 
with  the  climate  or  the  soil.  But  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
problem  is  hardly  capable  of  solution.  The  influence  which  a 
warm  climate  exercises  upon  the  colour  of  the  skin  is  a  well  known 
fact,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  common  observation  that  the  white 

*  St.  Panl  at  the  Areopagus  of  Athens.     Acts  of  the  Apostles,  chap.  xviL  ▼.  26. 

f  Origme  et  transformatioii  de  rhomme  et  des  autres  ^tres.  1  toL  in  18.  Paris,  1865. 


12  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

European,  if  transported  into  the  heart  of  Africa,  or  carried  to  the 
coast  of  Guinea,  transmits  to  his  descendants  the  brown  colour 
wliich  the  skin  of  the  Negro  possesses,  and  that  in  their  turn  the 
offspring  of  Negroes,  who  have  been  brought  into  northern 
countries,  become  as  they  descend,  paler  and  paler  and  end  by 
being  white.  But  the  colour  of  the  skin  is  not  the  only  charac- 
teristic of  a  race ;  the  Negro  differs  from  the  white,  less  by  the 
colour  of  his  skin,  than  by  the  structure  of  the  face  and  cranium, 
as  also  by  the  proportion  of  his  members  to  one  another.  Is  it 
not,  moreover,  a  fact  that  the  hottest  countries  are  inhabited  b}' 
people  with  white  skins  ?  Such  for  instance  are  the  Touaricks  of 
the  African  Sahara,  and  the  Fellahs  of  Egypt.  On  the  other 
hand,  men  with'  black  faces  are  found  in  countries  enjoying  a 
mean  temperature,  as  for  instance,  the  inhabitants  of  California 
on  the  coast  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Let  us  conclude  that  science  is  unable  to  exi)lain  to  us  the 
difference  which  exists  between  the  different  tj'pes  of  the  human 
species,  that  neither  tlie  temperature  nor  the  action  of  the  soil 
furnish  an  explanation  of  this  fact,  and  that  we  must  limit  our- 
selves to  noting  it,  without  further  comment,  in  spite  of  tlie 
mania  which  prompts  the  savants  of  our  day  in  a  desire  to  explain 
eveiything. 

We  have  now  another  question  to  consider.  Should  these 
white,  j'^ellow,  or  black  men,  to  whom  we  must  add,  as  we  shall 
see  later  on,  those  who  are  brown  and  red,  all  of  whom  differ  one 
from  anotlier  in  the  colom*  of  their  skin,  in  height,  in  then*  physio- 
gnomy, and  in  their  outward  appearance,  be  grouped  into 
different  species,  or  are  we  to  regard  them  merely  as  varieties  of 
species — that  is  to  say,  races  ?  To  fully  understand  this  question 
and  to  form  a  judgment  of  what  will  result  from  it,  we  must  as- 
certain what  is  imderstood  in  natural  history  by  the  word  species^ 
and  by  the  word  race  or  variety  of  species.  We  will  tlierefore 
commence  by  explaining  the  meaning  of  species  in  zoolog}% 

The  hare  and  the  rabbit,  tlie  horse  and  the  ass,  the  dog  and 
the  woK,  the  stag  and  the  reindeer,  &c.,  are  not  likely  to  be  taken 
one  for  another.  Yet  how  greatly  do  dogs  differ  among  them- 
selves in  size,  in  colom*,  and  in  their  proportions.  What  a 
difference  there  is  between  the  mastiff  and  the  Pyrenean  dog! 
The  same  observation  applies  to  horses.  How  different  we  find 
in  size  and  outward  appearance  the  lai*ge  Normandy  horse,  the 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

London  dray  horse,  or  the  omnibus  horse  of  Paris,  and  the  small 
Corsican  or  Shetland  horses  wliich  we  can  carry  in  our  arms ! 
And  yet  no  one  is  mistaken  in  them :  whether  he  differ  in  size,  or 
in  the  colour  of  his  hair,  we  alwa3's  recognise  a  liorse,  and  never 
mistake  him  for  an  ass ;  in  the  mastiff  as  well  as  in  the  bulldog, 
we  shall  always  recognise  a  dog.  However  greatly  a  rabbit  may 
varv  in  size  and  colour,  it  will  never  be  taken  for  a  hare.  The 
Breton  cow,  slight  and  frail,  is  nevertheless  as  much  a  cow  in  the 
eyes  of  a  fanner,  and  the  rest  of  the  world,  as  a  full-sized  Durham. 
The  same  reflection  applies  with  equal  force  to  birds.  The 
turkey  which  exists  in  the  wild  state  in  America,  certainly  differs 
very  much  from  the  black  or  white  turkey  acclimatized  in  Europe ; 
but  there  is  no  mistake  that  both  of  them  are  turkeys,  and 
nothing  else. 

The  vegetable  kingdom  vdW  furnish  us  with  similar  facts. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  cotton  plant  on  its  native  soil  in  America, 
and  you  will  find  that  it  differs  from  the  cotton  plant  cultivated  in 
Africa  and  Asia.  The  coffee  plant  of  the  South  American  plan- 
tations is  not  similar  to  the  same  shrub  which  exists  in  Arabia, 
wlience  it  came  in  the  first  instance.  Wheat  varies  mth  latitude 
to  a  most  extraordinary  extent,  &c.  The  cotton  plant,  however, 
is  always  the  cotton  plant,  whatever  be  the  soil  upon  which  it 
grows ;  the  coffee  plant  and  wheat  are  always  the  same  vegetables, 
and  one  is  not  liable  to  be  deceived  in  them.  The  action  of  cli- 
mate and  soil  upon  vegetables,  these  same  causes  taken  in  con- 
nection with  nutrition  upon  animals,  and  finally  the  mixture 
which  has  taken  i)lace  between  different  individuals,  explain  all 
these  differences,  wliich  affect  the  external  appearance,  but  not 
the  t^'pe  itself.  * 

We  mean  by  specie^,  when  applied  either  to  animals  or 
vegetables,  the  fundamental  type,  and  by  variety  or  race  the 
different  beings  which  result  from  the  influence  of  climate,  of 
nutriment,  and  of  mixture  with  mdividuals  of  tlie  same  species. 
The  species  dog  gives  bu'th  to  the  varieties  or  races  known  under 
the  names  of  bull-dog,  spaniel,  mastiff,  &c.  The  species  horse 
gives  birth  to  the  races  or  varieties  known  imder  the  names  of 
the  Arabian,  English,  Normandy,  Corsican,  &c.  The  species 
turkey  produces  the  varieties  known  as  the  wild  turkey,  the  black 
and  the  white  turkey.  In  the  vegetable  kingdom,  the  cotton 
plant  species  produces  the  American  and  the  Indian  cotton ;  the 


14  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

bramble  produces  the  innumerable  varieties  which  are  known  to 
us  as  rose-trees. 

But,  the  reader  will  say,  how  are  we  to  distinguish  race  from 
species,  and  does  there  exist  any  practical  means  of  deciding 
whether  the  animal  under  consideration  belongs  to  a  species  or 
a  race  ?  We  reply  that  such  a  means  does  exist,  which  enables  us 
to  speak  with  certainty  in  every  case.  It  is  of  importance  that 
this  should  be  made  known  in  order  that  every  one  may  test  it 
for  himself. 

Take  the  two  animals  in  question,  unite  them,  and  if  that 
connexion  of  the  sexes  results  in  the  production  of  another 
individual,  capable  of  reproduction,  this  will  indicate  race  or 
variety.  If,  however,  the  union  of  the  two  individuals  is  unpro- 
ductive, or  the  offspring  is  itself  barren,  this  will  indicate  two 
individuals  of  different  species. 

In  spite  of  observations  and  experiments  made  in  the  course  of 
many  thousand  years,  reproduction  has  never  been  procured  by 
mixture  of  a  rabbit  with  a  hare,  a  wolf  with  a  dog,  a  sheep  with  a 
goat.  It  is  true  that  hybrids  are  obtained  between  the  horse  and 
she-ass,  and  between  the  ass  and  the  mare,  but  it  is  well 
known  that  the  individuals  produced  by  tliis  mixture,  namely, 
the  quadrupeds  termed  mtdes,  are  barren  animals,  incapable  of 
reproduction  with  one  another. 

This  rule  is  not  confined  to  the  animal  kingdom,  but  it  obtains 
also  among  vegetables.  You  can  obtain  artificial  production 
from  a  pear  tree  by  applying,  with  suitable  precautions,  the  pollen 
of  the  flowers  of  one  pear  tree  to  the  stamens  of  those  of  another. 
Fruit  will  be  formed,  and  the  seed  which  that  produces  will  in  its 
turn  be  productive.  But  if  you  attempt  to  perform  the  same 
operation  between  a  pear  tree  and  an  apple  tree,  you  will  obtain 
no  result  whatever.  This,  again,  is  the  practical  method  which 
enables  botanists  to  distinguish  varieties  from  species.  The  test 
of  artificial  fecundation  between  one  plant  and  another,  which  it 
is  desired  to  distinguish  as  regards  their  species,  serves  to  solve 
the  difficulties  which  are  met  in  attempting  to  determine  the 
position  of  a  plant  in  botanical  classification. 

The  word  species  therefore  is  not  a  fictitious  term,  a  conven- 
tional expression  invented  by  the  learned  to  designate  the  classi- 
fications of  living  beings.  A  species  is  a  group  arranged  by 
Nature  herself.     Fruitfulness  or  barrenness  in  the  products  of  the 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

mixture  are  the  characteristics  which  Nature  attaches  to  variety 
or  to  species ;  those  groups  therefore  appear  to  us  as  though  they 
had  a  substantial  foundation  in  the  laws  which  govern  living  beings, 
and  we  do  but  render  in  speech  what  we  observe  in  Nature. 

When,  moreover,  we  reflect,  we  easily  understand  that  if  Nature 
had  not  instituted  species  the  most  complete  disorder  would  have 
reigned  throughout  living  creation.  By  intermixture  the  animal 
kingdom  would  have  been  overrun  by  mongrels  who  would  have 
confused  every  type,  thus  permitting  of  no  discernment  in  this 
crowd  of  incoherent  products.  The  whole  animal  kingdom 
would  have  been  given  over  to  inextricable  confusion.  In  like 
manner,  if  plants  had  been  capable  of  infinite  variety  through  the 
mixture  of  different  species,  brought  about  by  the  industry  of 
man,  or  by  the  effect  of  the  wind  bearing  through  the  air  the 
fertilizing  pollen,  there  would  be  nought  but  trouble  and  disorder 
among  the  vegetable  population  of  the  globe. 

Species  therefore  has  a  necessary,  providential,  and  fixed 
existence.  Impossibility  of  union  is  the  distinctive  qualification 
which  nature  assigns  to  this  group  of  living  beings.  Reproduc- 
tion is  possible  only  between  members  of  the  same  species,  and 
the  differences  produced  in  their  offspring  by  the  soil,  nutriment 
and  surrounding  circumstances,  determine  what  we  call  race, 
or  variety. 

The  principle  which  we  have  just  enunciated,  will  in  its 
application  to  man  enable  us  to  decide  whether  the  individuals 
that  people  the  globe,  belong  to  different  species  of  men,  or 
simply  to  races  or  varieties;  in  other  words,  whether  the  human 
species  is  unique,  and  whether  the  different  human  types  known 
to  us,  the  white,  black,  yellow,  brown  and  red-man,  belong  or  not 
to  races  of  the  human  species. 

The  reply  to  this  question  will  doubtless  have  been  anticipated. 
If  we  apply  the  rule  stated  above,  all  men  that  inhabit  the  globe 
belong  to  one  and  the  same  species,  since  it  is  a  fact  that  men 
and  women,  whatever  be  their  colour,  can  marry,  and  their 
offspring  is  always  reproductive.  The  Negro  and  white  female  by 
their  union  produce  mulattoes ;  mulattoes  and  mulattresses  are 
reproductive,  as  are  also  their  descendants — ^marriages  between 
members  of  the  red  or  brown  races  are  firuitful,  and,  what  is 
more,  the  fecundity  of  the  descendants  of  mongrels  is  superior  to 
that  of  men  and  women  of  the  same  colour. 


16  THE    HUMAN  RACE. 

Unless,  therefore,  we  regard  men  as  a  solitary  exception 
among  ,all  living  beings,  unless  we  withdraw  them  from  the 
operation  of  the  universal  laws  of  nature,  we  must  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  they  do  but  form  a  certain  number  of  races  of 
one  and  the  same  species,  and  all  descend  from  one  primitive 
unique  species. 

Men  are  brothera  in  blood :  this  principle  of  imiversal 
fititemity  imposed  by  nature,  may  be  placed  side  by  side  with  the 
corresponding  maxim  suggested  by  the  moral  sense. 

Those  who  deny  the  unity  of  the  human  species,  polygenistSy  or 
supporters  of  the  plurality  of  human  kind,  base  their  arguments 
in  favour  of  there  being  more  than  one  specie^,  upon  the 
assertion  that  the  distinction  between  the  Negro  and  the  white 
man  is  too  great  to  permit  of  their  possibly  being  classed 
together.  But,  between  the  lap-dog  and  the  mastiff,  the  wild 
and  tame  rabbit,  the  spaniel  and  the  greyhound,  or  the 
Shetland  and  Russian  horse,  there  is  a  much  greater  difference 
than  exists  between  the  Negi'o  and  the  white  man.  We  are 
unable  to  state  exactly,  or  to  explain  with  any  degree  of  accuracy, 
how  it  is  that  man,  as  he  was  first  created,  has  given  birth  to 
races  so  widely  different  as  the  white,  black,  yellow,  brown,  and 
red  which  people  the  earth  at  the  present  day.  We  can  but 
fui'nish  a  general  explanation  of  what  we  see  in  the  widely  vary- 
ing conditions  of  existence,  and  inthe  opposite  character  of  the 
media  through  which  man,  for  ages  past,  has  dragged  his 
existence,  frequently  with  much  diflSculty  and  imcertainty.  If 
the  dog,  the  horse,  the  rabbit,  and  the  turkey,  through  the 
agency  of  himian  industiy  applied  to  them  during  a  period  of 
scarcely  two  thousand  years,  have  given  birth  to  so  many 
varieties,  how  much  more  would  man,  whose  appearance  upon 
the  globe  is  of  such  antiquity  that  we  cannot  assign  to  it  even 
approximatively  a  date — man,  whose  fate  it  has  been  to  pass 
through  so  many  different  climates,  such  various  physical  and 
social  positions,  expect  to  see  his  own  type  become  modified  and 
transformed  ?  We  should,  with  more  reason,  feel  surprised  at 
finding  that  the  differences  between  one  variety  and  another  are 
not  much  wider  than  they  appear  to  be. 

In  order  to  avoid  this  argimient,  there  remains  to  the 
supporters  of  the  plurality  of  human  kind  no  alternative  but  to 
regard  man  as  an  exception  in  nature ;  to  assert  that  he  has  laws 


.     INTRODUCTION.  17 

peculiar  to  himself,  and  that  the  principles  which  pervade  the 
life  of  plants  and  animals  can  in  no  way  apply  to  him.  But 
man,  who  is  an  organized  and  living  being,  and  is  furnished  with 
a  body  that  differs  but  little  from  that  of  any  mammiferous 
animal,  is,  so  far  as  concerns  his  organization,  subject  to  the 
universal  laws  of  nature,  and  that  of  intermixture  among  the  rest. 
Jt  is  therefore  impossible  to  admit  the  question  of  exception 
raised  by  those  who  deny  the  unity  of  the  human  species. 

The  principle  that  the  human  species  is  one,  and  what  follows 
•as  a  natural  conclusion,  namely,  that  all  men  who  inhabit  the 
^arth  are  but  races  or  varieties  of  this  one  species,  wUl,  there- 
fore, appear  to  the  reader  to  be  satisfactorily  estabUshed. 

These  different  races  which  originate  in  one  species,  the 
primitive  type  having  been  modified  by  the  operation  of  climate, 
food,  soil,  intermixture  and  local  customs,  differ,  it  must  be 
admitted,  to  a  marvellous  extent,  in  their  outward  appearance, 
-colour  and  physiognomy.  The  differences  are  so  great,  the 
extremes  so  marked  and  the  transitions  so  gradual,  that  it  is  well- 
jaigh  impossible  to  distribute  the  human  species  into  really  natural 
^oups  from  a  scientific  point  of  view,  that  is  to  say,  groups 
founded  upon  organic  characteristics.  The  classification  of  the 
human  races  has  always  been  the  stumbling  block  of  anthropology, 
and  up  to  the  present  time  the  difficulty  remains  almost  un- 
diminished. 

A  cursory  examination  of  the  various  classifications  which  have 
been  brought  forward  by  the  most  important  of  those  who  have 
essayed  the  task  will  make  this  truth  apparent  to  all. 

Buffon,  in  his  chapter  upon  man,  a  work  which  we  can  always 
read  again  with  admiration  and  advantage,  contents  himself  with 
bringing  forward  the  three  fundamental  types  of  the  human 
species  which  have  been  known  from  the  first  under  the  names  of 
the  white,  black  and  yellow  race.  But  these  three  types  in  them- 
selves do  not^  exemplify  every  human  physiognomy.  The  ancient 
inhabitants  of  America,  commonly  known  as  the  Red-Skins,  are 
entirely  overlooked  in  this  classification,  and  the  distinction 
between  the  Negro  and  the  white  man  cannot  always  be  easily 
pointed  out,  for  in  Africa  the  Abyssinians,  the  Egyptians,  and 
many  others,  in  America  thq  Californians,  and  in  Asia  the 
Hindoos,  Malays  and  Javanese  are  neither  white  nor  black. 


18  THE   HUMAN   EACE. 

Blumenbach,  the  most  profound  anthropologist  of  the  last 
century,  and  author  of  the  first  actual  treatise  upon  the  natural 
history,  of  man,  distinguished  in  his  Latin  work,  De  Homine,  five 
races  of  men,  the  Caucasian,  Mongolian,  Ethiopian,  Malay  and 
American.  Another  anthropologist,  Prochaska,  adopted  the  divi- 
sions pointed  out  by  Blumenbach,  but  united  under  the  name  of 
the  white  race,  Blumenbach's  Caucasian  and  Mongolian  groups, 
and  added  the  Hindoo  race. 

The  eloquent  naturalist  Lac6pede,  in  his  Histoire  natureUe  de 
VHomme,  added  to  the  races  admitted  by  Bliunenbach  the  hyper^ 
barean  race,  comprising  the  inhabitants  of  the  northern  portion  of 
the  globe  in  either  continent. 

Cuvier  fell  back  upon  Buffon's  division,  admitting  only  the 
wliite,  black  and  yellow  races,  from  which  he  simply  derived  the 
Malay  and  American  races. 

A  naturalist  of  reno^vn,  Virey,  author  of  VHiatoire  natureUe  du 
Genre  humain,  V Histoire  naturelle  de  la  Femvie,  and  of  many  other 
clever  productions  upon  natural  history  and  particularly  anthro- 
pology, gave  much  attention  to  the  classification  of  the  human 
races.  But  he  was  not  favourable  to  the  unity  of  our  species^ 
being  led  to  entertain  the  opinion  that  the  human  species  was 
twofold.  This  was  the  starting  point  of  an  erroneous  deviation 
in  the  ideas  of  naturalists  who  wrote  after  Virey.  We  find  Bory 
de  Saint  Vincent  admitting  as  many  as  fifteen  species  of  men,  and 
another  naturalist,  Desmoulins,  doubtless  influenced  by  a  feeling 
of  emulation,  distinguished  sixteen  human  species,  which,  more- 
over, were  not  the  same  as  those  admitted  by  Bory  de  Saint 
Vincent. 

This  course  of  classification  might  have  been  followed  to  a 
much  greater  extent,  for  the  differences  among  men  are  so  great, 
that  if  strict  rule  is  not  adhered  to,  it  is  impossible  to  fix  any 
limit  to  species.  Unless  therefore  the  principle  of  unity  has  been 
fully  conceded  at  starting,  the  investigation  may  result  in  the 
admission  of  a  truly  indefinite  quantitj^  , 

This  is  the  principle  which  pervades  the  writings  of  the  most 
learned  of  all  the  anthropologists  of  our  age,  Dr.  Pritchard, 
author  of  a  Natural  History  of  Man,  which  in  the  original  text 
formed  ten  volumes,  but  of  which  the  French  language  possesses 
but  a  very  incomplete  translation. 

Dr.  Pritchard  holds  that  all  people  of  the  earth  belong  to  the 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

same  species ;  he  is  a  partisan  of  the  unity  of  the  human  species, 
but  is  not  satisfied  with  any  of  the  classifications  abeady  pro- 
posed, and  which  were  founded  upon  organic  characteristics.  He, 
in  fact,  entirely  alters  the  aspect  of  the  ordinary  classifications 
which  are  to  be  met  with  in  natural  history.  He  commences  by 
pointing  out  three  families,  which,  he  asserts,  were  in  history  the 
first  human  occupants  of  the  earth  :  namely  the  Aryan,  Semitic, 
and  Egyptian.  Having  described  these  three  families,  Pritchard 
passes  to  the  people  who,  as  he  says,  radiated  in  various  direc- 
tions from  the  regions  inhabited  by  them,  and  proceeded  to 
occupy  the  entire  globe. 

This  mode  of  classification,  as  we  have  pointed  out,  leaves  the 
beaten  track  trodden  by  other  natural  historians.  For  this 
reason  it  has  not  found  favour  among  modem  anthropologists, 
and  this  disfavour  has  reacted  upon  the  work  itself,  which,  not- 
withstanding, is  the  most  complete  and  exact  of  all  that  we 
possess  upon  man.  Although  it  has  been  adopted  by  no  other 
author,  Pritchard's  classification  of  the  human  race  appears  to  us 
to  be  the  most  sound  in  principle. 

M.  de  Quatrefages,  in  his  course  of  anthropology  at  the  Museum 
of  Natural  History,  Paris,  makes  a  classification  of  the  human 
race  based  upon  the  three  types,  white,  yellow  and  black ;  but  he 
appends  to  each  of  these  three  groups,  under  the  head  of  mixed 
races  attached  to  each  stem,  a  number  of  races  more  or  less  con- 
siderable and  arbitrary  which  were  excluded  from  the  three  chief 
divisions. 

The  classification  of  M.  de  Quatrefages  will  be  foimd  in  his 
Rapport  8ur  les  progres  de  VAnthropologie,  published  in  1867.  *  It 
is  extremely  learned  aAd  well  worked  out,  but  a  classification 
which  entirely  passes  by  the  simple  mode  of  reasoning  we  shall 
adopt  in  the  foUowing  pages. 

The  classification  of  the  human  race  which  we  propose  to  follow, 
modifying  it  where  in  our  opinion  it  may  appear  to  be  necessar}', 
is  due  to  a  Belgian  naturalist,  M.  d^Omalius  d'Halloy.  It 
acknowledges  five  races  of  men :  the  white,  black,  yellow,  brown 
and  red. 

This  classification  Is  based  upon  the  colour  of  the  skin,  a 
characteristic  very  secondary  in  importance  to  that  of  organization, 

♦  In  4*  forming  part  of  the  Rapporti  tur  let  progrh  4^8  Sciences  et  da  Lettres  en 
FroMct,  publiihed  under  the  axuiplces  of  the  Minister  of  Public  Instruction. 

0  2 


20  THE   HUMAN   RACK 

but  which  yet  furnishes  a  conyenient  framework  for  an  exact  and 
metliodical  enumeration  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  globe^  per- 
mitting a  clear  consideration  of  a  most  confused  subject.  In  the 
groups,  therefore,  which  we  shall  propose,  the  reader  will  fail 
to  find  a  trul}'  scientific  classification,  but  will  meet  with  merely 
such  a  simple  distribution  of  materials,  as  shall  permit  us  to 
review  methodically  the  various  races  spread  over  every  portion 
of  the  Earth's  surface. 


CHAPTER    II. 

General  characteristics  of  the  human  race — Organic  characteristics — Senses  and 
the  nervous  system — Height — Skeleton — Cranium  and  face — Colour  of  the 
akin — Phjsiologfical  functions — Intellectual  characteristics — Properties  of 
human  intelligence — Languages  and  literature — Different  states  of  society — 
Primitiye  industry — The  two  ages  of  prehistoric  humanity. 

Before  entering  upon  a  minute  description  of  each  of  the 
human  races,  we  shall  find  it  well  to  lay  before  the  reader  a 
generalization  of  the  characteristics  which  are  common  to  all. 

Since  man  is  an  intelligent  being,  living  in  an  organized  frame; 
our  attention  has  to  be  directed  to  the  consideration  of  his  organs 
and  intellect,  that  is,  in  the  first  place,  we  must  investigate  the 
physical,  in  the  second,  the  intellectual  and  moral  elements  of 
his  constitution. 

The  physical  characteristics  bear  but  secondary-  importance 
among  those  of  the  human  race.  Man  is  a  spmt  which  shines 
within  the  body  of  an  animal,  and  the  only  difficulty  is  to  asceri- 
tain  in  what  manner  the  organism  of  the  mammalia  is  modified 
in  order  to  become  tliat  of  man  ;  to  compare  the  hainnony  of  this 
organism  with  the  object  in  view,  namely  the  exercise  of  human 
intellect  and  thought.  We  shall  see  that  the  organs  of  the 
mammalia  are  greatly  modified  in  the  human  subject,  becoming, 
either  on  account  of  their  individual  excellence  or  the  harmony 
of  their  combination,  gi'eatly  superior  to  the  associations  of  the 
same  organs  among  animals. 

Let  us  first  consider  the  brain  and  organs  of  sense.  When  we 
examine  the  form  and  relative  size  of  the  brain  in  ascending  the 
series  of  mammiferous  animals,  we  find  that  this  organ  increases 
in  Tolnme,  and  progresses,  so  to  say,  toward  the  superior 
characteristics  which  it  is  to  display  in  the  human  species. 
Disregarding  certain  exceptions,  for  the  existence  of  which  we 
cannot  account,  but  which  in  no  way  alter  the  general  rule,  the 


22  THE   HUMAN   EACE. 

brain  increases  in  importance  from  the  zoophjrte  to  the  ape. 
But,  in  comparing  the  brain  of  the  ape  with  that  of  man,  an 
important  difference  becomes  at  once  apparent.  The  brain  of  the 
gorilla,  orang-outang,  or  chimpanzee,  which  are  the  apes  that  bear 
the  greatest  resemblance  to  man,  and  which  for  that  reason  are 
designated  anthropomorplwus  apes,  is  very  much  smaller  than  that 
of  man.  The  cerebral  lobes  in  man  are  much  longer  than  in  the 
anthropomorphous  apes,  and  their  vertical  measure  is  out  of  all 
proportion  with  the  height  of  the  cerebral  lobes  in  apes ;  this  is 
what  produces  the  noble  frontal  curve,  one  of  the  characteristic 
features  of  the  human  physiognomy.  The  cerebral  lobes  are 
connected  behind  with  a  third  nervous  mass  called  the  cerebellum. 
The  large  volume  of  these  three  lobes,  the  depth  and  number  of 
convolutions  of  the  encephalic  mass,  and  other  anatomical  details 
of  the  brain,  upon  which  we  are  unable  here  to  treat  at  greater 
length,  place  the  brain  of  man  very  far  above  that  of  the  animal 
nearest  to  him  in  the  zoological  s^cale.  These  differences  bear 
witness  in  favour  of  man  to  an  unparalleled  intellectual  develop- 
ment, and  we  should  be  better  able  to  measure  these  differences, 
were  we  able  to  show  in  what  the  cerebral  action  consists,  but 
this  we  are  utterly  unable  to  do. 

The  senses,  taken  individually,  are  not  more  developed  in  man 
than  they  are  in  certain  animals;  but  in  man  they  are  cha- 
racterised by  their  harmony,  their  perfect  equilibrium,  and  their 
admirable  appropriation  to  a  common  end.  Man,  it  will  at 
once  be  admitted,  is  not  so  keen  of  sight  as  the  eagle,  nor  so 
subtle  of  heanng  as  the  hare,  nor  does  he  possess  the  wonderful 
scent  of  the  dog.  His  skin  is  far  from  being  as  fine  and  im- 
pressionable as  that  which  covers  the  wing  of  a  bat.  But,  while 
among  animals,  one  sense  always  predominates  to  the  dis- 
advantage of  the  rest,  and  the  individual  is  thus  forced  to  adopt 
a  mode  of  existence  which  works  hand  in  hand  with  the  develop- 
ment of  this  sense,  with  man,  all  the  senses  possess  almost 
equal  delicacy,  and  the  harmony  of  their  association  makes  up  for 
what  may  be  wanting  in  individual  power.  Again,  the  senses  of 
animals  are  employed  only  in  satisfying  material  necessities,  while 
in  man,  they  assist  in  the  exercise  of  eminent  faculties  whose 
development  they  further. 

Let  us  consider  shortly  in  detail  our  senses. 

Man  is  certainly  better  off,  as  regards  the  sense  of  sight,  than 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

a  large  majority  of  animals.  Instead  of  being  placed  upon 
different  sides  of  his  head,  looking  in  opposite  directions,  and 
receiving  two  images  which  cannot  possibly  be  alike,  his  eyes  are 
directed  forwards,  and  regard  similar  objects,  by  which  means  the 
impression  is  doubled.  The  sense  of  sight  thus  brings  to  his 
conceptions  a  complete  image  and  solid  idea  of  what  surrounds 
him ;  it  is  his  most  useful  sense,  the  more  so  when  it  is  guided 
in  its  application  by  a  clear  intellect. 

The  sense  of  touch  in  man  reaches  a  degree  of  perfection 
which  it  does  not  attain  in  animals.  How  marvellous  is  the 
sense  of  touch  when  exercised  by  applying  the  extremities  of  the 
fingers,  the  part  of  the  body  the  best  suited  to  this  function, 
and  how  much  more  wonderful  is  the  organ  called  the  hand,  which 
applies  itself  in  so  admirable  a  manner  to  the  most  different 
surfaces  whose  extent,  form,  or  qualities,  we  wish  to  ascertain ! 

A  modem  philosopher  has  attributed  to  the  hand  alone  our 
intellectual  superiority.  This  was  going  too  far.  We  find 
enthusiasm  allied  with  justice  in  the  views  expressed  in  the 
excellent  pages  which  Galen  has  consecrated  to  a  description  of 
the  hand,  in  his  immortal  work  De  vsu  partium. 

"  Man  alone,"  says  Galen,  "  is  furnished  with  hands,  as  he 
alone  is  a  participator  in  wisdom.  The  hand  is  a  most  mar- 
vellous instrument,  and  one  most  admirably  adapted  to  his 
nature.  Bemove  his  hand,  and  man  can  no  longer  exist.  By 
its  means  he  is  prepared  for  defence  or  attack,  for  peace  or 
war.  What  need  has  he  of  horns  or  talons  ?  With  his  hand, 
he  grasps  the  sword  and  lance,  he  fashions  iron  and  steel. 
Whilst  with  horns,  teeth  and  talons,  animals  can  only  attack 
or  defend  at  close  quarters,  man  is  able  to  project  from  afar 
the  instruments  with  which  he  is  armed.  Shot  fi*om  his  hand, 
the  feathered  arrow  reaches  at  a  great  distance  the  heart  of 
an  enemy,  or  stops  the  flight  of  a  passing  bird.  Although  man  is 
less  agile  than  the  horse  and  the  deer,  yet  he  mounts  the  horse, 
guides  him,  and  thus  successfully  hunts  the  deer.  He  is  naked 
and  feeble,  yet  his  hand  procures  him  a  covering  of  iron  and  steel. 
His  body  is  unprotected  against  the  inclemencies  of  climate,  yet 
his  hand  finds  him  a  convenient  abode,  and  furnishes  him  with 
clothing.  By  the  use  of  his  hand,  he  gains  dominion  and 
mastery  over  all  that  lives  upon  the  earth,  in  the  air,  or  in  the 
depths  of  the  sea.    From  the  flute  and  lyre  with  which  he  amuses 


£4  THE    HUMAN    RACK 

his  leisure,  to  the  terrible  instrumeuts  by  means  of  which  he  deals 
death  around  him,  and  to  the  vessel  which  bears  him,  a  daring 
seaman,  upon  the  bosom  of  the  deep — all  is  the  work  of  his  hand. 

"  Would  man  without  hands  have  been  able  to  write  out  the 
laws  which  govern  him,  or  raise  to  the  gods  statues  and  altars  ? 
Without  hands  could  he  bequeath  to  posterity  the  fruit  of  his. 
labours,  and  the  memory  of  his  deeds?  Could  he  (had  man 
been  created  handless)  converse  with  Socrates,  Plato,  Aristotle^ 
and  the  different  great  men,  children  of  bygone  ages  ?  The  hand 
is  then  the  physical  characteristic  of  man,  in  like  manner  as^ 
intelligence  is  liis  moral  characteristic." 

Galen,  having  shown  in  this  chapter  the  general  formation  of 
the  hand  and  the  special  disposition  of  the  organs  which  compose 
it ;  having  described  the  articulations  and  bones,  the  muscles  and 
tendons  of  the  fingers;  and  having  analyzed  the  mechanism  of  the 
different  movements  of  the  hand,  cries,  full  of  admiration  for  this 
marvellous  structure : 

"  In  presence  of  the  hand,  this  marvellous  iiistiniment,  cannot« 
we  well  treat  witli  contempt  tlie  opinion  of  those  philosophers 
who  saw  in  the  limnan  body  merely  the  result  of  a  fortuitous  con- 
course of  atoms  !  Does  not  everjihing  in  our  organization  most 
clearly  give  the  lie  to  this  false  doctrine  ?  Who  will  dare  to 
invoke  chance  in  explanation  of  this  admirable  disposition  ?  No, 
it  is  no  blind  power  that  has  given  birtli  to  all  these  man'els.  Do 
you  know  among  men  a  genius  capable  of  conceiving  and  exe- 
cuting so  i)erfectawork?  There  exists  not  such  a  workman.  This 
sublime  organization  is  the  creation  of  a  superior  intelligence,  of 
which  the  intellect  of  man  is  but  a  poor  terrestrial  reflection. 
Let  others  offer  to  the  Deity  reeking  hecatombs,  let  them  sing 
hynms  in  honour  of  the  gods ;  my  hymn  of  praise  shall  be  the 
study  and  the  exposition  of  the  maiTels  of  the  human  frame!  " 

The  sense  of  hearing,  without  attaining  in  man  the  perfection 
which  it  reaches  in  certain  animals,  is  nevertheless  of  great  deli- 
cacy, and  becomes  an  infinite  resource  of  instruction  and  pure 
enjoyment.  Not  only  are  differences  of  iatonation,  intensity,  and 
timbre,  recognised  by  our  ear,  but  the  most  delicate  shades  of 
rhythm  and  tone,  the  relations  of  simultaneous  and  successive 
sounds  which  give  the  sentiment  of  melody  and  harmony,  are 
appreciated,  and  furnish  us  with  the  fii'st  and  most  natural  of  the 
arts — music.     Thus   the  perfection  and  dehcacy  of  our  senses,. 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

which  x>ermit  of  oiir  grasping  faint  and  slightly  varying  imjires- 
sionsy  thie  harmony  of  these  senses  themselves,  their  perfect 
equilibrimn,  their  capability  of  improvement  by  exercise,  place 
us  at  a  considerable  distance  above  the  animal. 

Let  us  now  pass  to  the  bony  portion  of  thie  human  body,  and 
consider  first  of  aU  the  head^  The  head  is  shared  by  two  regions, 
the  cranium  and  the  face.  The  predominance  of  either  of  these 
regions  over  the  Qther,  depends  upon  the  development  of  the 
organs  which  belong  to  each. 

The  cranium  contains  the  cerebral  mass,  that  is,  the  seat  of 
the  intellect ;  the  face  is  occupied  by  the  organs  appertaining  to 
the  principal  senses.  In  animals,  the  face  greatly  exceeds  the 
cranium  in  extent ;  the  reverse  is,  however,  the  case  with  man. 
It  is  but  rarely  that  with  him  the  face  assumes  importance  at 
the  expense  of  the  cranium — ^in  other  words,  that  the  jaws 
become,  elongated,  and  give  to  the  human  face  the  aspect  of  a 
brute. 

We  find  in  works  upon  anthropology  some  expressions  which 
call  for  an  explanation  here ;  they  are  frequently  employed,  since 
they  enable  us  to  express  by  a  single  term  the  relation  which 
exists  between  the  dimensions  of  any  pailicular  skull.  The  term 
dclickocephnlous  (from  the  Greek  loXv^ps,  long,  K€<^aA^,  head,)  is 
applied  to  a  cranium  which  is  elongated  from  front  to  rear,  or,  to 
express  the  idea  numerically,  the  cranium  whose  longitudinal 
diameter  bears  to  its  vertical  diameter  the  proportion  of  100  to  68. 
A  short  cranium  is  styled  hrachycephalous  (from,  ppaxvs,  short, 
KC^oA^,  head,)  wliich  term  is  appUed  when  the  relation  between 
the  longitudinal  and  vertical  diameters  is  100  to  80. 

The  attribute  of  length  or  shortness  of  the  cranium  is  of  less 
importance  than  is  generally  beUeved.  All  Negroes,  it  is  true,  are 
dolichocephahus ;  but  it  must  not  be  supposed  from  this  that 
the  production  backwards  of  the  cranium  is  an  indication  of  in- 
feriority ;  since  in  the  white  race,  heads  are  sometimes  very  long 
and  sometimes  very  short.  The  North  Germans  are  dolicho- 
cephalaus;  those  inhabiting  Central  Germany  being  brachycepha- 
lous.  This  characteristic  cannot  therefore  be  regarded  as  a 
criterion  of  intellectual  excellence. 

There  is  in  the  human  face  an  anatomical  characteristic  of 
greater  importance  than  any  taken  from  the  elongation  of  the 
eraninm ;  that  is,  the  projection  forwards,  or  the  uprightness  of 


26  THE   HUMAN   KACE. 

the  jaws.  The  term  prognathism  (from  wpi,  forward,  and  yviOo7, 
jaw,)  is  applied  to  this  jutting  forward  of  the  teeth  and  jaws,  and 
orthognathism  (from  SpSbs,  straight,  y/dtfo^,  jaw,)  to  the  latter 
arrangement. 

It  was  long  admitted  that  prognathism,  or  projection  of  the 
jaws,  was  peculiar  to  the  Negro  race.  But  this  opinion  has  been 
forced  to  yield  to  the  discovery,  that  projecting  jaws  exist  among 
people  in  no  way  connected  with  the  Negro.  In  the  midst  of 
white  populations  this  characteristic  is  frequently  met  with ;  it 
is  occasionally  found  among  the  English,  and  is  by  no  means  rare 
at  Paris,  especially  among  women.  Prognathism  would  appear 
to  be  characteristic  of  a  small  European  race  dwelling  to  the 
south  of  the  Baltic  Sea,  the  Esthonians,  and  which  itself  is  but 
the  residue  of  the  primitive  Mongolian  race  to  which  we  have 
alluded  in  our  work,  "Primitive  Man,"  as  being  the  first  race 
which,  according  to  M.  Pnmer-Bey,  peopled  the  globe.  It  is 
probably  the  mixture  of  Esthonian  blood  with  that  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Central  Europe,  which  causes  the  appearance  in  our 
large  cities  of  individuals  whose  faces  are  prognathous. 

We  cannot  close  our  remarks  upon  the  face  without  speaking 
of  a  curious  relation  between  it  and  the  cranium,  which  has  been 
much  abused ;  we  allude  to  the  facial  angle.  By  facial  angle 
is  meant  the  angle  which  results  from  the  union  of  two  lines,  one 
of  which  touches  the  forehead,  the  other  of  which,  drawn  from 
the  orifice  of  the  ear,  meets  the  former  line  at  the  extremity  of 
the  front  teeth. 

The  Dutch  anatomist  Camper,  after  having  compared  Greek 
and  Eoman  statues,  or  medals  of  either  nationality,  assumed 
that  the  cause  of  the  intellectual  superiority  which  distinguished 
Greek  from  Eoman  physiognomies  was  to  be  found  in  the  fact, 
that,  with  the  Greeks,  the  facial  angle  is  larger  than  in  Boman 
heads.  Starting  with  this  observation.  Camper  pursued  his 
enquiries  until  it  occurred  to  him  to  advance  the  theory  that  the 
increase  of  the  facial  angle  may  be  taken  in  the  human  race  as  a 
sign  of  superior  intelligence. 

This  observation  was  correct,  insomuch  as  it  separated  men 
from  apes,  and  carrion  birds  from  other  birds.  But  its  application 
to  different  varieties  of  men,  as  a  measure  of  their  various  degrees 
of  intelligence,  was  a  pretension  doomed  to  be  sacrificed  to  future 
investigations.    Dr.  Jacquart,  assistant-naturalist  in  the  Museum 


INTRODUCTION.  27 

of  Natural  History  at  Paris,  calling  to  his  aid  an  instrument 
he  invented,  by  which  the  facial  angle  is  rapidly  measured,  has, 
in  our  day,  made  numerous  studies  of  the  facial  angle  of 
human  beings.  M;  Jacquart  found  that  this  angle  cannot  be 
taken  as  a  measure  of  intelligence,  for  he  observed  it  to  be  a 
right  angle  in  individuals,  who,  with  respect  to  intelligence,  were 
in  no  way .  superior  to  others  whose  facial  angle  was  much 
smaller.  M.  Jacquart  went  so  far  as  to  show,  that,  in  the 
population  of  Paris  alone,  the  facial  angle  varies  between  much 
wider  proportions  than  those  imposed  by  Camper  as  charac- 
teristic limits  of  human  varieties. 

The  measure  of  the  facial  angle,  therefore,  is  far  from  bearing 
the  importance  which  has  long  been  ascribed  to  it ;  but  this  does 
not  go  to  prevent  its  application,  with  advantage,  in  ordinary 
cases,  when  races  of  men  are  required  to  be  distinguished  from 
one  another. 

Erect  carriage  is  another  of  the  characteristics  which  dis- 
tinguish the  human  species  from  all  other  animals,  including  the 
ape,  by  whom  this  position  is  but  rarely  assumed,  and  then 
accidentally  and  unnaturally. 

Everything  in  the  human  skeleton  is  calculated  to  ensure  a 
vertical  posture.  In  the  first  place,  the  head  articulates  with 
the  vertebral  column  at  a  point  so  situated  that,  when  this 
vertebral  column  is  erect,  the  head,  by  means  of  its  own  weight, 
remains  supported  in  equilibrium.  Besides  this,  the  shape  of 
the  head,  the  direction  of  the  face,  the  position  of  the  eyes,  and 
the  form  of  the  nostrils,  all  require  that  man  should  walk  erect 
on  two  feet. 

K  our  body  were  intended  to  assume  a  horizontal  position, 
everything  connected  with  it  would  be  out  of  place :  the  crown 
of  the  head  would  be  the  most  advanced  part,  and  this  would 
operate  most  detrimentally  to  the  exercise  of  sight;  the  eyes 
would  be  directed  toward  the  earth;  the  nostrils  would  open 
backward;  the  forehead  and  the  face  would  be  beneath  the 
head.  Moreover,  the  whole  muscular  system  and  all  the  tendons 
are,  in  man,  auxiliary  to  erect  posture,  without  mentioning  the 
curves  which  occur  in  the  vertebral  column,  and  the  exceptional 
formation  of  the  limbs,  &c. 

J.  J.  Kousseau  was,  therefore,  very  far  from  right,  when  he 
contended  that  man  was  bom  to  go  on  all  fours. 


28  THE   HUMAN    RACE. 

The  height  of  men;  as  well  as  the  colour  of  their  skin,  are 
characteristics  which  must  not  be  overlooked,  since  they  are  of 
importance  as  distinctive  attributes  of  different  races. 

And  first,  with  regard  to  height,  the  differences  which  tins 
incident  may  present  in  the  human  species  have  been  greatly 
exaggerated.  Much  allowance  must  be  made  in  admitting  what 
has  been  written  with  respect  to  dwarfs,  and  what  has  been 
alleged  concerning  giants.  The  Greeks  beUeved  in  the  existence 
of  a  people  they  called  Pygmies^  but  whose  place  of  abode  tliey 
always  omitted  to  jjoint  out.  These  were  very  small  people,  who 
were  entirely  liidden  from  view  when  they  entered  a  field  of 
standing  wheat,  and  who  passed  much  of  their  time  in  resisting 
the  attacks  of '  Cranes.  The  same  *  fable  was  revived  in  morel 
modem  times,  wiUi  reference  to  a  people  supposed  to  Hve  in  tlie 
island  of  Madagascar,  who  were  styled  Kymes.  But  Pygmies 
and  Kymes  are  equally  fabulous. 

Antiquity  tells  us  of  giants,  but  ^viihout  forming  tliem  into  a 
separate  race.  It  is  rather  in  modern  times  that  the  exist- 
ence of  races  of  human  giants  has  been  put  forward.  In  the 
sixteenth  centmy,  when  Magellan  had  doubled  Cape  Horn  and 
discovered  the  Pacific  Ocean,  a  companion  of  this  navigator, 
Pigafetta,  gave  an  altogether  extraordinary  description  of  the 
Patagonians,  or  inhabitants  of  the  Tierra  del  Fuego.  He  made 
giants  of  them.  One  of  his  successors,  Leaya,  adding  yet  more 
to  the  height  of  tlie  Patagonians,  assigned  to  these  men  a 
statm'e  of  from  three  to  four  metres. 

Modern  travellers  have  reduced  to  accurate  proportions  the 
exaggerated  statements  of  ancient  navigators.  The  French 
naturalist  Alcide  d'Orbigny  actually  measured  a  large  number 
of  Patagonians,  and  fomid  that  their  height,  on  an  average,  was 
about  1"*  73. 

This,  then,  is  about  the  limit  of  the  height  which  is  reached 
by  the  human  species. 

With  reference  to  the  extreme  of  smallness  we  are  able  to 
arrive  at  this  by  referring  to  the  Bushmen  who  inhabit  Southern 
Africa.  An  EngUsh  traveller,  Barrow,  measured  all  the  mem- 
bers of  a  tribe  of  Bushmen,  and  found  that  their  average  height 
was  1°^31. 

The  human  species,  therefore,  varies  in  height  to  the  extent  of 
about  0"*'42,  that  is  to    say,  the  difference  between  the  height 


.    INTRODUCTION.  29 

of  the  Patagoniaiis  and  that  of  the  Bushmen.  It  id  well  to  make 
this  observation  whilst  we  are  upon  this  subject,  since  the 
supporters  of  the  theory  of  a  plurality,  of  human  races  have 
invoked  these  differences  in  height  in  support  of  the  multii)licity 
of  the  races  of  humanity.  It  is  clear  that,  among  animals,  races 
vary  in  height  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  tliey  do  with  man ; 
there  is,  by  comparison,  a  much  greater  difference  in  size  between 
a  mastiff  ai;d  a  dog  of  the  Pyrenees,  than  there  is  between  a 
Bushman  and  a  Patagonian. 

As  regards  the  colour  of  the  skin  of  the  human  race,  we  find 
it  necessary  to  say  a  few  words,  since  we  propose  to  take  thia 
as  the  basis  of  our  classification. 

The  colour  of  the  skin  is  a  very  convenient,  characteristic  to  fix 
upon  in  order  to  identify  the  various  races,  since  this  quality  is 
peculiarly  adapted  to  suggest  itself  thi'ough  the  eye.  Its  scientific 
importance  must,  however,  by  no  means  be  exaggerated.  Certain 
individuals,  though  they  be  members  of  the  White  or  Caucasian 
Eace,  may  yet  be  very  darkly  tinted.  Arabs  are  often  of  a  brown 
colour,  which  nearly  approaches  black,  and  yet  they  possess  the 
finest  marks  of  the  Wliite  or  Caucasian  Race.  The  Abyssinians, 
although  very  brown,  are  not  black.  The  American  Indians, 
whom  we  rank  as  members  of  the  Red  Race,  often  have  dark 
brown. or  almost  black  skins.  Among  members  of  the  White 
Race  in  northern  latitudes,  especially  women,  the  skin  has  often 
a  yellowish  tint.  We  must  add  that  the  colour  of  the  skin  is 
often  difficult  to  fix,  since  the  shades  of  colour  merge  into  one 
another.  AU  this  must  be  said  in  order  to  show  how  difficult 
it  is  to  form  natm-al  groups  gf  the  innumerable  types  of  our 
species. 

It  would  be  for.  us  now  to  speak  of  the  physiological  charac- 
teristics of  the  human  race ;  but  our  consideration  of  this  subject 
will  be  liiyiited  to  a  few  words,  since  tlie  condition  of  physiological 
functions  is  almost  identical  among  all  men,  whatever  be  their 
race. 

There  is,  nevertheless,  an  important  difference,  well  worthy  of 
note,  presented  by  the  nervous  system  when  we  compare  the  two 
extremes  of  humanity,  namely,  the  Negro  and  the  white 
European.  In  the  white  man,  the  nervous  centres,  that  is  the 
brain  and  spinal  cord,  are  of  much  greater  volmne  than  they  are 
in  the  Negro.    In  the  latter  the  expansions  from  these  nervous 


30  THE   HUMAN   RACE. 

centres,  that  is,  the  nerves  properly  so  called,  have  relatively  a 
greater  volume. 

A  similar  difference,  quite  on  a  par  with  this,  exists  in  the 
circulatory  system.  In  the  white  man,  the  arterial  system  is 
more  developed  than  the  venous;  the  reverse  is  the  case  with 
the  Negro.  Lastly,  the  blood  of  the  Negro  is  more  viscous,  and 
of  a  deeper  red  than  that  of  the  white  man. 

With  the  exception  of  these  general  differences,  the  great 
physiological  functions  proceed  in  the  same  manner  among  all 
races  of  men.  The  differences  are  not  remarked  except  when 
secondary  functions  are  compared,  but  these  differences  then 
assume  proportions  of  some  consideration. 

Climate,  customs,  and  habits  are  the  causes  of  these  variations 
in  the  secondary  functions,  which  at  times  become  so  similar  as 
to  permit  of  confusion  in  the  most  opposite  races.  Let  a  member 
of  the  white  race  be  thrown  into  the  midst  of  wild  Indians,  become 
a  prisoner  of  the  red-skins,  and  share  their  warlike  existence  in 
the  midst  of  forests,  we  shall  see  that  the  sense  of  sight,  as  also 
that  of  hearing,  will  attain  in  this  individual  the  same  perfection 
which  they  enjoy  in  his  new  companions.  It  is  by  virtue  of  the 
prodigious  flexibility  of  our  organism,  and  of  our  powers  of 
imitation  and  assimilation,  that  the  physiological  functions  of 
secondary  importance  become  capable  of  such  modification. 

The  intellectual  and  moral  characteristics  are  those  which  take 
the  lead  in  man.  Not  only  are  we  unable  to  pass  them  over  in 
silence  in  the  general  study  of  the  human  race,  but  much  more 
importance  must  be  assigned  to  them  than  to  mere  corporeal 
characteristics.  If  the  naturalist,  when  he  studies  an  animal, 
makes  a  point,  when  he  has  described  his  structure  and  organism, 
of  considering  his  habits  and  manner  of  life,  how  much  more 
should  he,  when  treating  of  man,  dwell  upon  his  intellectual 
faculties,  the  stamp  which  so  truly  identifies  our  species. 

Man  makes  use  of  language  as  the  means  of  expressing  his 
intelligence.  If  man  is  provided  with  the  power  of  speech,  which  he 
has  in  common  with  no  gther  animal,  it  is  owing  to  the  fact  that 
in  him  intelligence  is  infinitely  more  developed  than  in  the 
animal.  It  is  through  the  simultaneous  conciirrence  of  all  his 
senses  that  the  faculty  of  speech  is  manifested  in  man ;  and  the 
proof  of  this  is,  that  through  the  absence  of  one  of  his  senses,  he 
loses  this  faculty.    What  is  meant  by  a  person  bom  dumb  ?  It  is 


INTRODUCTION.  31 

an  indiyidnal  similar  in  all  respects  to  speaking  man,  but  differing 
from  him  in  this,  that  he  came  into  the  world  perfectly  deaf. 
The  primary  absence  of  the  power  of  hearing  has  paralysed  the 
child's  intelligence  with  special  reference  to  his  imitative  faculty, 
and  in  fact,  the  person  called  deaf  and  dumb  is  originall}'  simply 
a  person  6om  dea/. 

Language,  then,  is  but  the  expression  of  the  highest  intelK- 
gence.  **  Animals  have  a  voice,"  says  Aristotle,  "  but  man  alone 
speaks."  Nothing  can  be  truer  than  this  statement  of  the 
immortal  Greek  philosopher. 

It  is  well  known  how  the  languages  and  dialects  spoken  in  the 
world  have  multiplied;  and,  indeed,  nothing  is  more  difficult  than 
to  classify  all  the  languages  and  dialects  that  exist.  This  diffi- 
culty becomes  more  insurmountable  when  we  consider  that 
languages  vary  in  course  of  time  to  a  very  considerable  extent. 
The  French  of  Babelais  and  Montaigne,  who  wrote  at  the  time  of 
the  Kenaissance,  is  not  very  intelligible  to  us,  and  that  of  French 
chroniclers  at  the  time  of  St.  Louis  can  only  be  understood  by 
studying  it  specially  and  with  a  dictionary.  Modem  Italians 
read  Dante  with  great  difficulty,  and  the  same  may  be  said  for  the 
English  as  regards  their  great  writer  Shakespeare.  Languages 
then  alter  very  rapidly,  even  though  the  people  themselves  remain 
stationary.  The  alterations  are  much  more  serious  and  rapid 
when  two  peoples  amalgamate. 

These  considerations  are  sufficient  to  convey  an  idea  of  the 
problem  which  scholars  have  propounded  in  wishing  to  ascertain 
the  language  of  primitive  humanity.  It  may  be  said  that  such  a 
.  problem  is  incapable  of  solution.  We  must  therefore  despair  of 
finding  the  mother  tongue,  and  limit  ourselves  to  those  which  are 
her  offspring. 

Upon  a  comparison  of  these  last,  it  has  been  decided  to  assign 
to  three  fundamental  groups  all  the  languages  which  have  been, 
and  are  still,  spoken  on  the  earth ;  these  are,  as  we  have  already 
said,  monosyllabic,  agglutinative  and  inflected  languages. 

Chinese  is  the  most  decided  example  of  a  monosyllabic 
language.  Each  word  comprises  but  one  syllable,  and  has  an 
absolute  meaning  in  itself.  Recourse  must  be  had  to  the  compli- 
cated combination  of  a  quantity  of  utterances  in  order  to  impress 
all  modifications  of  thought,  all  distinctions  of  time,  place,  person, 
condition,  &c.     One  marvels  to  hear  that  the  Chinese  language 


82  TH%   HUMAN   BACK 

comprehends  such  an  immense  number  of  words,  that  the  life  of 
a  single  man  of  letters  is  not  sufficiently  long  to  allow  of  his 
learning  all.  This  apparent  wealth  is  but  the  most  utter  poverty. 
This  language,  whose  vocabulary  is  infinite,  is  simply  detestable. 
To  its  imperfection  must  be  attributed  the  smallness  of  the 
progress  which  the  people  of  Asia  have  mad3  in  the  direction  of 
intelligence  and  commerce. 

Agglutinative  languages,  which  are  spoken  by  Negroes,  as  also 
by  many  people  of  the  yellow  race,  are  the  first  degree  of 
l)erfection  in  human  speech.  In  these  the  word  is  no  longer 
unique ;  variable  terminations  attached  to  each  word  modify 
the  primitive  expression.  They  contain  roots  and  words  whose 
function  it  is  to  modify  these  roots. 

Th6  third  and  last  degree  of  perfection  in  human  speech  is 
found  in  inflected  languages.  Those  languages  are  so  called,  in 
wliich  the  same  word  is  capable  of  modification  a  great  number  of 
times,  in  order  to  express  the  different  shades  of  thought,  and  to 
translate  changes  of  time,  person,  or  place.  Inflected  languages 
are  made  up  of  a  series  of  diffei*ent  terms,  the  number  of  which  is 
by  no  means  large,  but  the  modification  of  which,  by  means  of 
adjuncts,  or  through  the  position  they  occupy,  are  indeed  innu- 
merable. All  European  languages,  and  those  spoken  in  Asia  by 
people  of  the  white  race,  are  inflected. 

If  spoken  language  is  the  first -element  which  served  to  con- 
stitute human  societies;  fixed,  that  is  icrittcn  language,  has  been 
the  fundamental  cause  of  their  progress.  By  means  of  writing, 
one  generation  has  been  enabled  to  hand  down  to  the  other  the 
fruits  of  their  experience  and  investigation,  and  thus  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  primitive  science  and  histor}\ 

The  first  forms  of  writing  were  mere  mnemonic  signs.  Stones 
cut  to  a  certain  fashion,  pieces  of  wood  to  which  a  conventional 
form  had  been  imparted,  and  such  like,  were  the  first  signs  of 
written  language.  One  of  the  most  curious  forms  of  mnemonic 
writing  has  been  met  with  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Worlds ;  it 
consisted  in  joining  little  bimdles  of  cord  of  different  colours, 
in  which  were  tied  knots  of  various  kinds.  "Whoever  ties  a 
knot  in  his  handkerchief  in  order  to  recall  to  mind  some  fact  or 
intention,  makes  use,  without  knowing  it,  of  the  primitive  form 
of  writmg. 

An  advance  in  writing   consisted  in   representing  pictorially 


INTRODUCTION.  33 

objects  which  it  was  wished  to  designate.  The  wild  Indians  of 
North  America  still  make  use  of  these  rough  representations  of 
objects,  as  a  means  of  imparting  certain  information. 

This  very  system  is  rendered  more  complete,  when  the  design 
is  supplemented  by  a  conventional  idea.  If  prudence  is  indicated 
by  a  serpent,  strength  by  a  lion,  and  lightness  by  a  bird,  we  here 
at  once  recognize  writing  properly  so  called.  This  last  form  of 
writing  is  known  as  the  symbolical  or  ideographic. 

Symbolical  writing  existed  among  the  ancients.  The  hiero- 
glyphics which  are  engraved  upon  the  monuments  of  ancient 
Egypt,  and  those  which  have  been  found  upon  Mexican  remains, 
ielong  to  symbolical  writing. 

And  yet  this  is  not  writing  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word, 
which  does  not  exist  until  the  conventional  signs,  of  which  use  is 
made,  correspond  with  the  words  or  signs  of  the  language  spoken, 
and  can  actually  replace  the  language  itself. 

By  the  alphabet,  is  meant  the  collection  of  conventional  signs 
corresponding  to  the  sounds  which  form  words.  The  alphabet 
is  one  of  those  inventions  which  have  called  for  the  greatest 
efforts  of  the  human  mind,  and  it  is  not  without  good  reason 
that  Greek  m3rthology  deified  Cadmus,  the  inventor  of  letters. 
The  same  admiration  for  the  inventors  of  alphabets  is,  moreover, 
/exhibited  among  all  ancient  nations. 

It  is  not  only  through  its  immense  superiority  as  regards 
-extent  and  power,  that  the  intelligence  of  man  is  distinguished 
Irom.  that  of  the  brute ;  there  is  an  attribute  of  intelligence 
which  is  strictly  peculiar  to  our  species.  This  is  the  faculty  of 
abstraction,  which  permits  of  our  collecting  and  placing  together 
the  perceptions  of  the  mind,  by  that  means  arriving  at  general 
results.  It  is  through  this  power  of  abstraction,  that  our  intellect 
has  created  the  wonders  which  are  familiar  to  all ;  that  the  arts 
and  sciences  have  been  brought  to  light  and  fostered  by  society. 

In  connection  with  the  faculty  of  abstraction,  we  must  allude 
to  the  moral  sense,  which  is  a  deduction  from  that  same  property. 
The  moral  sense  is  a  special  attribute  of  human  intelligence,  and 
it  may  be  said  that  through  this  attribute,  man's  intellect  is  dis- 
tinguished from  that  of  animals ;  for  this  characteristic  is  most 
truly  peculiar  to  the  mind  of  man,  and  is  nowhere  found  among 
animals. 

D 


34  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

Among  all  people,  and  at  all  times,  the  difference  between  good 
and  evil,  truth  and  falsehood,  has  been  recognized.  The  abstract 
idea  of  moral  good  and  moral  evil  may  certainly  differ  in  different 
people :  one  may  admire,  what  the  other  detests ;  in  one  nation, 
that^  may  be  held  in  good  repute,  which,  in  another,  is  a  criminal 
offence ;  yet,  after  all,  the  abstract  notion  of  evil  and  good,  does 
not  cease  to  exist.  Observance  of  the  right  of  property,  self- 
respect,  and  regard  for  human  life,  are  to  be  found  among  all 
nationalities.  If  man,  in  his  savage  state,  occasionally  casts 
aside  these  moral  notions,  it  is  in  consequence  of  the  social  con- 
dition of  the  tribe  to  which  he  belongs,  and  must  be  regarded  in 
connexion  with  the  customs  of  war  and  the  feeling  of  revenge.  But, 
in  a  state  of  tranquillity  and  peace,  which  condition  the  philo- 
sopher and  student  must  presuppose  in  framing  their  arguments, 
the  notion  of  evil  and  good  is  always  to  be  found.  The  forms 
which  the  feeling  of  honour  dictates,  vary  for  example  in  the 
white  man  and  the  savage,  but  the  feeling  itself  is  never  eradi- 
cated from  the  heart  of  any. 

The  religious  feeling,  the  notion  of  divinity,  is  another  charac- 
teristic which  has  its  origin  in  the  faculty  of  abstraction.  This 
sentiment  is  indissolubly  allied  to  human  intelligence.  Without 
wishing,  with  an  eminent  French  anthropologist,  M.  de  Quatre- 
fages,  to  make  of  7^eligiositi/  a  fundamental  attribute  of  humanity, 
and  a  natural  characteristic  of  our  species,  we  may  say  that  all 
men  are  religious,  that  they  acknowledge  and  adore  a  Creator, 
a  Supreme  God.  Whether  the  statement  that  certain  people, 
such  as  the  Australians,  Bushmen,  and  Polynesians,  are  atheists, 
as  we  are  assured  by  some  travellers,  and  whether  the  reproaches 
bestowed  upon  them  in  consequence  of  this,  are  well-founded, 
or  whether  it  is  the  fact  that  the  travellers  who  bore  this 
testimony  imderstood  but  little  of  the  language  and  signs  of 
these  different  people,  as  has  been  suggested  by  M.  de  Quatre- 
fages,  are  matters  of  relatively  slight  importance.  The  state  of 
brutality  of  certain  tribes,  buried  in  the  midst  of  inaccessible  and 
savage  countries,  and  the  intellectual  imperfection  which  follows, 
concealing  from  them  the  notion  of  God,  are  nothing  when  com- 
pared with  the  universality  of  religious  belief  which  stirs  in  the 
hearts  of  the  innumerable  populations  spread  over  the  face  of  the 
earth; 

Language  and  writing  gave  birth  to  human  associations,  and 


INTRODUCTION.  35 

later  on,  to  civilization,  by  which  they  were  transformed.  It  is 
curious  to  follow  out  the  progressive  forms  of  human  association, 
and  point  out  the  stages  which  civilization  has  passed  through  in 
its  forward  march. 

Primitive  societies  assumed  thi'ee  successive  forms.  Men 
were  in  the  first  instance,  hunters  emdjishers,  then  herdsmen,  and 
lastly  husbandmen.  We  say,  populations  were  first  of  all  hunters 
and  fishers.  The  human  race  then  inhabiting  the  earth,  was  but 
small  in  number,  and  this  explains  it.  A  group  of  men  gaining 
their  livelihood  simply  by  hunting  and  fishing,  cannot  be  com- 
posed of  a  very  large  number  of  individuals.  A  vast  extent  of 
tenitory  is  required  to  nourish  a  population,  which  finds  in  game 
and  fish  its  sole  means  of  subsistence.  Moreover,  this  manner 
of  living  is  always  precarious,  for  there  never  is  any  certainty 
that  food  will  be  found  for  the  morrow.  This  continual  pre- 
occupation in  seeking  the  means  of  subsistence,  brings  man 
nearer  to  the  brute,  and  hinders  him  from  exercising  his 
intellect  upon  ennobling  and  more  useful  subjects.  Hunting  is, 
moreover,  the  image  of  warfare,  and  war  may  very  easily  arise 
between  neighbouring  populations  who  get  their  Hving  in  the 
same  manner.  If  in  these  eventual  collisions,  prisoners  are 
taken,  they  are  sacrificed  in  order  that  there  may  be  no  additional 
mouths  to  feed. 

So  long,  therefore,  as  human  societies  were  composed  only  of 
hunters  and  fishers,  they  were  unable  to  make  any  intellectual 
progress,  and  their  customs,  of  necessity  remained  barbarous. 
The  death  of  prisoners  was  the  order  of  battle. 

Societies  of  herdsmen  succeeded  those  of  hunters  and  fishers. 
Man  having  domesticated  first  the  dog,  then  the  ox,  the  horse,  the 
sheep  or  the  llama,  by  that  means  ensured  his  livelihood  for  the 
morrow,  and  was  enabled  to  turn  his  attention  to  other  matters 
besides  the  quest  of  food.  We  therefore  see  pastoral  societies 
advancing  in  the  way  of  progress,  by  the  improvement  of  their 
dress,  their  weapons,  and  their  habitations. 

But  pastoral  communities  have  also  need  of  large  tracts  of 
country,  for  their  herds  rapidly  exhaust  the  herbage  in  one 
region,  and  they  must  therefore  seek  farther  for  pastures,  in 
order  that  they  may  be  sure  of  their  food,  when  that  is  confined 
to  flesh  and  milk.  Pastoral  populations  were  therefore  of 
necessity  nomadic. 

D  2 


36  THE    HUMAN   RACE. 

In  their  reciprocal  migrations,  pastoral  tribes  frequently  came 
Into  collision,  and  found  it  necessary  to  dispute  by  armed  force 
the  possession  of  the  soil.  War  ensued.  Since  the  prisoners 
taken  could  be  maintained  with  comparative  ease  by  the  con- 
queror on  condition  of  their  lending  assistance,  they  were  forced 
to  become  slaves,  and  it  is  thus  that  the  sad  condition  of  slavery, 
which  was  later  on  to  extend  in  so  aggravated  a  degree  as  to 
develop  into  a  social  grievance,  had  its  origin. 

The  third  form  of  society  was  realized  as  soon  as  man  turned 
his  attention  to  agriculture,  that  is,  when  he  began  to  make 
plants  and  herbage,  artificially  produced,  an  abundant  and  certain 
source  of  nourishment. 

Agriculture  affords  man  certain  leism-e  time  and  tends  to 
soften  his  manners  and  customs.  If  war  breaks  out,  its  episodes 
are  less  cruel  in  themselves.  The  captive  can,  without  actually 
being  reduced  to  slavery,  be  added  to  the  number  of  those  who 
labour  in  the  fields,  and  in  return  for  a  consideration  contribute 
to  the  wellbeing  of  the  tribe.  The  Serf  here  takes  the  place  of 
the  slave ;  a  form  of  society,  comi)osed  of  masters  and  different 
degrees  of  servants,  becomes  definitely  organized. 

Agricultural  people,  being  relieved  from  the  preoccupations  of 
material  existence,  are  enabled  to  foster  their  intelligence,  which 
becomes  rapidly  more  abundant.  It  is  thus  that  civilization  first 
took  root  in  human  society. 

These  then  are  the  three  stages,  which,  in  all  countries, 
mankind  have  of  necessity  passed  through  before  becoming 
civilized.  The  progress  from  one  stage  to  the  next  has  varied  in 
rapidity  in  proportion  to  circumstances  of  time  and  place,  and 
of  the  country  or  hemisphere.  Nations,  whom  we  find  at  the 
present  day  but  little  advanced  in  civilization,  were  on  the  other 
hand  originally  superior  to  otiier  nations  we  may  point  to.  The 
Chinese  were  civilized  long  before  the  inhabitants  of  Europe. 
They  were  building  superb  monuments,  were  engaged  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  mulberry,  were  rearing  silkworms,  manufac- 
turing  porcelain,  &c.,  at  the  very  time  when  our  ancestors,  the 
Celts  and  Aryans,  clothed  in  the  skins  of  wild  beasts,  and  tattooed, 
were  living  in  the  woods  in  the  condition  of  hunters.  The 
Babylonians  were  occupied  with  the  study  of  astronomy,  and  were 
calculating  the  orbits  of  the  stars  two  thousand  years  before  Christ; 
for  the  astronomical  registers  brought  by  Alexander  the  Oreat 


INTRODUCTION.  37 

from  Babylon,  refer  back  to  celestial  observations  extending  ovei* 
more  than  ten  centuries.  Egyptian  civilization  dates  back  to  at 
least  four  thousand  years  before  Christ,  as  is  proved  by  the 
magnificent  statue  of  Gheffrel,  which  belongs  to  that  period,  and 
which,  since  it  is  composed  of  granite,  can  only  have  been  cut  by 
the  aid  of  iron  and  steel  tools,  in  themselves  indicators  of  an 
advanced  fbrm  of  industry. 

This  last  consideration  should  make  us  feel  modest.  It  shows 
that  nations  whom  we  now  crush  by  our  intellectual  supe- 
riority, the  Chinese  and  Egyptians,  perhaps  also  the  old  inhabi- 
tants of  Mexico  and  Peni,  were  once  far  before  us  in  the  path  of 
civilization. 

It  is  quite  clear  that  manufactures  have  tended  to  hasten  the 
progress  of  civilization.  It  is  well  worthy  of  remark  that,  accord- 
ing as  the  matter  composing  the  material  of  these  manufactures 
has  undergone  transformation,  so  the  condition  of  society  has 
progressed.  Two  mineral  substances  were  the  objects  of  primi- 
tive manufactures  :  stone  and  metal.  Civilization  was  rough- 
he\Mi  by  instruments  made  of  stone,  and  has  been  finished  by 
those  composed  of  metal.  Modem  naturalists  and  archaeologists 
are  therefore  perfectly  right  in  dividing  the  history  of  primitive 
man  into  two  ages  :  the  stone  age,  and  the  metal  age. 

In  our  work  "  Primitive  Man,"  we  have  followed  step  by  step  the 
course  and  oscillations  of  the  primitive  manufactiu'es  of  different 
peoples.  We  have  first  seen  that  man  being  without  any  other 
instrument  of  attack  or  defence  save  his  nails  and  teeth,  or  a 
stick,  made  use  of  stones,  and  formed  them  into  arms  and  tools. 
We  then  saw  that  he  made  himself  master  of  fire,  of  which  he 
alone  understands  the  use.  We  then  saw  him,  with  the  aid  of 
fire,  supply  the  heat  which  in  cold  climates  the  sun  denied,  create 
during  the  night  artificial  light,  and  add  to  the  insufficiency  of  his 
form  of  diet,  not  to  speak  of  the  numerous  advantages  which  his 
industry  enabled  him  to  gain  by  the  application  of  heat. 

As  man  progressed,  the  instrument  formed  merely  of  stone 
trimmed  to  shape  no  longer  suflSced  him ;  he  poUshed  it,  and  even 
commenced  to  adorn  it  with  drawings  and  symbols.  Thus  the 
arts  found  their  origin. 

Metals  succeeded  stone,  and  by  their  use  a  complete  revolution 
was  effected  in  human  societies.     The  tool  composed  of  bronze 


38  THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

enabled  work  to  be  done,  which  was  out  of  the  question  when  the 
agent  was  stone.  Later  on  iron  made  its  appearance,  and  from 
that  time  industry  progressed  with  giant  strides. 

We  have  no  occasion  here  to  revert  to  the  history  of  the 
development  of  the  industry  of  man  in  prehistoric  times.  We 
shall  confine  ourselves  to  pointing  out  that  this  part  of  our 
subject  is  treated  at  full  length  in  our  work  on  '*  Primitive 
Man." 

To  summarize  what  we  have  said  :  if  man,  in  his  bodily 
formation,  is  an  animal,  in  the  exalted  range  of  his  intellect,  he  is 
Nature's  lord.  Although  we  show  that  in  him  phenomena 
present  themselves  similar  to  those  which  we  encounter  in  vege- 
tables and  plants,  yet  we  see  him  by  his  superior  faculties,  extend 
afar  his  empire,  and  reign  supreme  over  all  that  is  around  him, 
the  mineral  as  well  as  the  organized  world.  The  faculties  which 
properly  belong  to  human  intelligence  and  distinguish  man 
from  the  brute,  namely,  the  abstractive  faculties,  make  him  the 
privileged  being  of  creation,  and  justif}'^  him  in  his  pride,  for, 
besides  the  physical  power  which  he  is  able  to  exert  on  matter, 
he  alone  has  the  notion  of  duty  and  the  knowledge  of  the 
existence  of  a  God. 

After  these  general  considerations  we  proceed  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  different  races  of  men. 

We  have  said  that  we  shall  adopt  in  this  work  the  classification 
proposed  by  M.  d'Omalius  d*Halloy,  modifying  it  to  meet  our 
own  views.     We  shall  therefore  describe  in  tlieir  order : 

1.  The  White  Race. 

2,  The  Yellow  Race. 
8,  The  Brown  Race. 
4.  The  Red  Race. 

6.  The  Black  Race. 

We  would  call  special,  observation  to  the  fact  that  these 
epithets  must  not  always  be  taken  in  an  absolute  sense.  The 
meaning  they  intend  to  convey  is  that  each  of  the  groups  we 
estabUsh  is  composed  of  men,  who  considered  as  a  whole,  are 
more  white,  yellow,  brown,  red,  or  black,  than  those  of  other 
races.     The  reader  must  therefore  not  be  surprised  to  find  in  any 


INTRODUCTION.  39 

given  race  men  whose  colour  does  not  agree  with  the  epithet 
which  we  here  employ  in  order  to  characterize  them.  In  addition 
to  that,  these  groups  are  not  founded  solely  upon  the  colour 
of  the  skin ;  they  are  derived  from  the  consideration  of  other 
characteristics,  and,  above  all,  from  the  languages  spoken  by  the 
people  in  question. 


THE  WHITE  RACE. 


This  race  was  called  by  Cuvier  the  Caucasiany  since  that  writer 
assigned  to  the  mountains  of  the  Caucasus  the  first  origin  of 
man.  It  is  now  frequently  known  as  the  Aryan  race,  jfrom  the 
name  formerly  bestowed  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Persia.  The 
Caucasian  or  Aryan  race  is  admittedly  the  original  stock  of  our 
species,  and  it  would  seem  that  from  the  region  of  the  Caucasus, 
or  the  Persian  shores  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  this  race  has  spread 
into  different  parts  of  the  earth,  peopling  progressively  tlie  entire 
globe. 

The  beautiful  oval  form  of  the  head  is  a  mark  which  dis- 
tinguishes the  Caucasian  or  Aryan  race  of  men  from  all  others. 
The  nose  is  large  and  straight :  the  aperture  of  the  mouth 
moderate  in  size,  enclosed  by  delicate  lips ;  the  teeth  are 
arranged  vertically :  the  eyes  are  large,  wide  open,  and  sui'- 
mounted  by  curved  brows.  The  forehead  is  advanced,  and  the 
face  well  proportioned  :  the  hair  is  glossy,  long,  and  abundant. 
This  race  it  is  from  which  have  proceeded  the  most  civilized 
nations,  those  who  have  most  usually  become  rulers  of  others. 

We  shall  divide  the  White  Eace  into  three  branches,  corres- 
ponding to  peoples  who  at  the  first  successively  developed 
themselves  in  the  north-west,  the  south-east,  and  north-east  of 
the  Caucasus.  These  branches  are  the  European,  Aramean,  and 
Persian.  This  classification  is  based  upon  geographical  and 
linguistic  considerations.  M.  d'Omalius  d'Halloy  admits  a  fourth 
branch,  the  Scythian,  which  we  reject,  since  the  people  which  it 
comprises  belong  more  properly  to  the  Yellow  Race  or  to  the 
Aramean  branch  of  the  White  Race- 


HU9UH    RACE 


SCAHDINAVIAn  GREEK 

WHITE  OR  CAUCASIAN  RACE 


CHAPTER  I. 

EUROPEAN    BRANCH. 

What  we  have  just  said  with  regard  to  the  civilization  and 
power  of  the  white  race  applies  with  most  force  to  the  peoples 
who  form  the  European  branch. 

Proceeding  upon  considerations  grounded  chiefly  upon  language, 
we  distinguish  among  the  peoples  foi-ming  the  European  branchy 
three  great  families  :  the  Teutonic,  Latin  and  Slavonic,  to  which 
must  be  added  a  smaller  family,  the  Greek. 

Although  great  differences  exist  between  the  languages  spoken 
by  the  i>eoples  composing  these  four  families,  these  languages  are 
all  in  some  manner  connected  with  Sanskiit,  that  is  the  language 
used  in  the  ancient  sacred  books  of  the  Hindus.  The  analogy 
of  European  languages  with  Sanskrit,  added  to  the  antiquity 
evidenced  b}-  tlie  historical  records  of  many  Asiatic  nations,  and 
notably  of  the  Hindus,  brings  us  to  the  admission  that 
Europeans  first  came  from  Asia. 


Teutonic  Family. 

The  i)eople  comprised  in  the  Teutonic  family  are  those  who 
possess  in  the  highest  degree  the  attributes  of  the  white  race. 
Their  complexion,  which  is  clearer  than  tliat  of  any  other  people, 
does  not  appear  susceptible  of  becoming  brown,  even  after  a  long 
residence  in  warm  climates.  Their  eyes  are  generdly  blue,  their 
hair  is  blond ;  they  are  of  a  good  height  and  j)ossess  well  propor- 
tioned limbs. 

From  the  very  earUest  times  recorded  in  history,  these  people 
have  occupied  Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Germany  and  a  portion  of 
France.      Tbey  liave  also  developed  themselves  in  the  British 


42  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

Isles,  in  Italy,  Spain,  and  the  north  of  Africa  :  but  in  these  last 
named  countries  they  have  eventually  become  mixed  with  people 
belonging  to  other  families.  What  is  more,  these  same  people 
form  at  the  present  day  the  most  important  part  of  the  white 
population  of  America  and  pceanica,  and  have  reduced  into  sub- 
jection a  large  portion  of  Southern  Asia. 

"We  shall  divide  the  Teutonic  family  into  three  leading  groups : 
the  Scandinavians,  Germans,  and  English. 


3. — WAKE  OP  ICELASDIC  PEASAKTS   IS 


Scandinavians. — The  Scandinavians  have  preserved  almost 
unaltered  the  typical  characteristics  of  the  Teutonic  family. 
Their  intelligence  is  far  advanced,  and  instruction  has  been 
spread  among  them  to  such  an  extent,  that  they  have  given  a 
strong  impulse  to  scientific  progress.  The  ancient  poeras  of  the 
Scandinavians,  which  go  back  as  far  as  the  eighth  century,  are 
celebrated  in  the  history  of  Eiuropean  literature. 

The  Scandinavians  comprise  three  very  distinct  populations : 
the  Swedes,  Norwegians,  and  Danes.      To  this  group  must  be 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  43 

added   the    small    populiition    of   Iceland,   since   the   language 
spoken  by  them  is  most  similai-  of  all  to  tlie  ancient  Scandi- 

The  Feroe  Isles  are  also  inliabited  by  Scandinavians,  and  many 
Swedes  are  also  met  with  on  the  coasts  of  Finland.  But  in  other 
conntries,  to  which  ui  former  times  the  Scandinavians  extended 
their  conquests,  they  have,  in  general,  mingled  with  the  peoples 
they  subjected. 


The  Icelanders  are  of  midtUe  height  and  only  of  moderate 
pliTsical  power.  They  are  honest,  faithful,  and  hospitable,  and 
extremely  fond  of  their  native  countiy.  Their  productions  are 
small  in  extent,  as  they  understand  little  more  tlmn  the  manufac- 
ture of  coarse  stuff  and  the  preparation  of  leatlier. 

We  give  here  some  types  of  those  people. 

iig.  S  is  a  Wake  of  the  peasants. 


-44  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

The  Norwegians  are  robust,  active,  of  great  endurance,  simple, 
hospitable,  and  benevolent. 

In  Norway  few  differences  are  found  in  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  different  classes  of  society.  Customs  here  are 
truly  democnitic,  the  peasant  plays  the  chief  port  in  the  affairs  of 
the  country.  The  popular  diet  dictates  its  will  to  the  goreru- 
ment. 


M.  de  Saint  Blaise  in  liis  work,  Voyage  dans  lea  Etats  Scandi- 
naves,  describes  the  Nonvegian  ns  a  rough  and  moody  but  rehable 
character.  One  thing  which  struck  him  was  the  absence  of 
sociability  between  the  two  sexes.  They  marry  usually  before 
attaining  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when  the  woman  devotes  hersell" 
entirely  to  her  husband  and  household  affairs. 

When  the  two  sexes  meet  at  meals,  they  separate  immediately 
the  repast  is  at  an  end.  The  result  of  this  is  a  too  familiar 
manner,  on  absence  of  constraint  among  the  men,  and  a  neglect 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  45 

in  the  dress  of  the  women  wliich  conti'asta  strongly  with  their 
natural  grace. 


r -^7—-.:     - 

.j^^<:^k^ 

In  fignres  4,  6,  6,  7  and  8,  we  give  types  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Norway. 


40  THE    WHITE    BACE, 

The  Danes  (the  old  Jutca  or  Goths)  aie  a  people  proud  of  theii- 
racCj  and  full  of  valour  and  stubbornness.  The  men  are  tall  and 
strong;  the  women  slender  and  active.  Their  hair  is  blond,  their 
eyes  are  blue,  and  their  complexion  ruddy.  The  children  are  fresh 
and  rosy,  the  old  men  liU>esome  and  erect  in  their  walk.  Their 
voices  are  good  and  vigorous,  they  speak  in  an  energetic  manner. 
We  encounter  in  Denmark  a  strange  mixture  of  democratic  and 
feudal  customs :  perpetual  entails  are  contrasted  witli  laws  whose 


(NORWAY). 


object  is  equality.  The  working  classes  have  an  ardent  desire 
to  possess  land  in  their  own  right. 

There  are  in  Denmark  three  classes  of  peasantry ;  those  who 
poBsesB  both  bouse  and  garden,  those  who  possess  merely  a 
house,  and  those  who  only  rent  apartments.  The  first  of  these 
fumish  their  board  with  rich  plate  and  utensils ;  their  wives  and 
children  go  to  work  in  the  fields  decorated  with  rings  and 
bracelets. 

The  people  therefore  enjoy  a  considerable  amount  of  comfort. 
Add  to  this  a  general  degree  of  instruction,  which  extends  even 
to  the  peasant's  cottage,  and  which  embraces  notions  of  agricul- 
ture, geography,  history  and  arithmetic.      The  civilization  of 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  47 

Demnark  is,  therefore,  very  considerable,  and  certainly  gi-eater 
than  that  of  France,  England,  Spain,  and  Italy. 

Drunkenness  is  rarely  met  with  iu  Denmark,  and  maniage  is 
considered  sacred. 

The  marriages  of  the  Fioniaii  peasants  last  seven  days.  They 
dance  and  make  merry  tliree  days  before  and  three  days  after 
that  on  which  the  marriage  takes  place.     The  cerenionj'  is  per- 


(nobwav). 

fonned  amid  a  flourish  of  trumpets.  The  bridegroom  is  elegantly 
dressed,  the  bride  still  more  so ;  she  wears,  moreover,  a  kind  of 
diadem  in  which  flowers  are  seen  mingling  with  gold. 

Germiina. — ^When  wandering  as  nomadic  tribes  in  the  woods, 
that  is,  at  the  time  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  ancient  inhabitants 
of  Germany  much  resembled  their  neighbours,  the  Gauls.  They 
were  men  of  large  stature  and  vigorous  frame,  with  white  skins. 
Their  hair,  however,  was  usually  red,  while  among  tjie  Gauls  the 
ruling  colour  was  blond.  Their  head  was  large,  with  a  broad 
forehead  and  blue  eyes.    But  the  modem  descendants  of  the  old 


48  THE   WHITE    EACK 

inhabitants  of  GermaBy  have  undergone  many  modifications, 
■which  would  render  it  difficult  at  the  present  day,  to  find,  in  ihe 
greater  portion  of  that  country,  general  characteristics  based  upon 
the  structure  of  the  bend,  and  the  colour  of  the  eyes  or  hair. 

The  modem  inhabitants  of  Germany,  the  Germans,  occupy  a. 
very  large  portion  of  Germany  proper  and  of  Eastern  Prussia,  as 
weU  as  a  broad  band  of  country  to  the  right  of  the  Rhine.     They 


".^f^^* 


(BTt-rTQABD). 


nre  found  also  in  different  parts  of  Hungary,  Poland,  Kussia,  and 
North  America.  The  Germans  of  the  East  and  South  having 
mixed  much  with  the  peoples  of  Southern  Europe,  do  not  repre- 
sent exclusively  the  Teutonic  type  ;  some  of  them  are  met  with 
who  have  brown  hair  and  black  eyes. 

We  give  in  the  accompanjTng  illustrations  (figs.  9  to  14)  some 
ij-pes  and  costumes  of  the  inhabitants  of  Germany  proper 
(Baden,  Wfirtemberg,  Suabia  and  Bavaria).  The  national  cos- 
tumes of  Alsace  are  also  shown. 

We  shall  borrow  from  a  work,  published  in  1860  under  the  title 
*'  Let  RaceB  Humaines  et  leur  Part  dans  la  Civiliiation"  by  Dr. 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  49 

Clavel,   an  interesting  description   of  the   customs  of  modem 
Germany  : — 

. "  Impinging,  at  its  south-western  frontier,  upon  the  Latin  world, 
at  its  south-eastern  frontier,  upon  the  Slavonian  world,  and  at  its 
northern  frontier,  upon  Scandinavia,  Germany,"  says  Dr.  Clavel, 
**  does  not  admit  of  any  very  distinct  definition.  Throughout  the 
whole  periphery  of  this  country  there  exists  no  identity  either  of 
customs,  language,  or  reUgion.  Its  provinces  on  the  frontiers  of 
Denmark  are  half  Scandinavian ;  those  bordering  on  Russia  or 
Turkey  are  half  Slavonic  ;  those  which  are  neighbours  of  Italy  or 
France  are  half  Latin :  the  provinces  which  together  represent  the 
frontiers  of  Germany,  form  a  zone  more  mixed  and  various  than 
is  possessed  by  the  frontiers  of  any  other  nationality. 

**  It  is  only  toward  the  centre  of  the  country  that  we  find  in  all 
its  purity  the  blond  Germanic  type,  the  feudal  organization  and 
the  numerous  principalities  which  are  its  consequences.  It  is 
here  that  we  find  the  conditions  of  climate  which  appear  to  pro- 
duce this  race  with  blue  eyes,  red  and  white  complexion,  tail 
figores,  and  full,  powerful  frames. 

"  Whilst  the  Latin,  glorying  in  the  light  of  heaven,  enlarges 
his  windows,  builds  open  terraces,  and  clears  his  forests  that  he 
may  plant  vineyards  in  their  stead ;  the  German  loves  above  all 
things  shade  and  mystic  retreats.  He  hides  his  house  in  the 
midst  of  trees,  linuts  his  windows  in  size,  and  lines  his  streets 
with  leafy  elms;  he  reveres,  nay,  almost  worships  his  old  oak 
trees,  endows  them  with  soul  and  language,  and  makes  of  them 
the  abode  of  a  Divinity. 

"In  order  thoroughly  to  enter  into  the  German  genius,  we 
must  wander  among  the  paths  of  their  old  forests,  observe 
and  analyze  carefully  the  eflfects  of  light  and  shade,  springing  up 
in  ubiquitous  confusion,  intersecting  confined  and  narrow  per- 
spectives, lending  isolated  objects  a  brightness  vividly  con- 
trasting with  the  neighbouring  obscurity,  changing  even  the 
appearance  of  the  face  in  their  alternations,  and  forming  dark 
backgrounds,  illuminated  by  prismatic  tints  and  glowing  sun- 
beams. Pausing  beneath  the  venerable  trees,  we  must  listen 
to  sounds,  re-echoed  a  thousand  times,  then  dying  away  among 
the  thickets,  to  give  place  to  the  rustling  of  aspen  leaves,  to  the 
sighing  of  the  firs,  or  to  the  harmonious  murmurs  of  rivulets  which 
force  Uieir  way  amid  the  flags  and  water-lilies.    We  must  inhale 

B 


K)  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

the  &ir  scented  with  the  pungent  odour  of  fallen  leaves,  or  the 
exhilarating  scent  of  the  wild  cherry  blossom.  It  is  only  then 
that  we  come  to  appreciate  the  love  of  nature  and  the  druidical 
tone  which  pervade  German  literature ;  we  understand  Goethe's 
passion  for  natural  history ;  the  poem  of  Faust  becomes  foil  of 
meaning ;  a  feeling  of  melancholy  creeps  over  the  mind  and  leads 
as  to  the  contemplation  of  things  that  are  soft,  sad,  mysterious, 
fantastic,  irref^ar,  and  original. 


(dTUTTCAED). 


"Being  brought  thus  in  contact  with  nature,  the  German  is 
natural  and  primitive ;  he  sympathizes  with  the  world's  infancy. 
He  easily  goes  back  to  the  past  and  the  consideration  of  olden 
times;  but  it  is  not  in  him  to  anticipate  the  future,  and  he  regards 
progress  with  distaste.  If  he  advances  towards  equality  and  unity, 
it  is  the  ideal  of  the  Latins  which  impels  him.  There  is  in  him  a 
resistance  which  forms  part  of  his  patient  and  cold  nature.  His 
movements  are  sluggish.  His  language  is  hardly  formed.  His 
Uterature,  overflowing  with  imagination,  is  wanting  in  elegance  and 
purity,  it  is  not  ripe  enough  for  prose  and  unfit  to  form  a  book. 


EUEOPEAN   BRANCH.  61 

"  The  plastic  arts  of  Germany  also  possess  the  simplicity  and 
variety  which  are  produced  by  imagination ;  but  they  are  wanting 
in  proportion,  in  purity  of  style  and  elegance ;  they  are  capable 
of  arranging  neither  lines  nor  colours;  their  productions  often 
verge  on  the  grotesque,  or  are  marked  by  heaviness  or  pedantry, 
and  they  clearly  are  not  the  work  of  children  of  the  sun. 

"  The  Germans  possess  an  ear  which  appreciates  sound  in  a 
wonderful  manner,  and  reduces  with  ease  to  melody  the  fleeting 
impressions  of  the  Soul. 

" .  .  .  .  He  who  possesses  a  strong  and  enduring  constitu- 
tion brings  to  his  means  of  action  energy  of  will.  His  pro- 
jects are  neither  frivolously  conceived,  nor  abandoned  without 
good  reason,  and  they  are  often  followed  out  in  spite  of  a 
thousand  obstacles.  This  patient  and  continuous  activity  on  the 
part  of  the  Germans  enables  them  to  succeed  in  all  foiins  of 
industry,  in  spite  of  their  subdivision  and  other  hindrances 
resulting  from  their  political  constitution. 

"  When  men  are  laborious,  patient,  and  frugal,  we  may  expect 
to  see  family  life  become  strongly  organized,  and  exercise  a 
decisive  influence  upon  national  customs. 

"  Love,  whose  duty  it  is  to  bring  together  the  sexes  into  a 
united  existence,  is  in  Germany,  neither  very  positive,  nor  very 
romantic;  it  is  dreamy  in  its  character.  It  seeks  its  object  in 
youth  and  speedily  finds  it ;  faithfulness  is  then  observed  until 
the  time  for  marriage  arrives. 

**  Early  engagements  being  admitted  by  custom,  betrothed 
couples  are  seen  together,  arm  in  arm,  among  the  crowd  at 
public  or  private  festivals,  or  in  lonely  woods,  or  in  twilight 
seclusion.  Pleasure  and  paiu  they  share  with  one  another, 
happy  in  the  conviction  that  their  hearts  beat  in  unison,  and  in 
the  repetition,  over  and  over  again,  of  tender  assurances.  The 
calmness  of  their  temperament  and  the  certainty  of  belonging  to 
one  another  some  day,  diminish  the  danger  of  these  long  inter- 
views. The  young  man  respects  the  girl  who  is  to  bear  bis  name 
and  rule  his  home  with  her  virtuous  example  ;  she,  on  her  part, 
shrinks  from  a  seduction  which  would  dishonour  her  and  compro- 
mise her  friture  life. 

"  Such  customs  cannot  but  meet  with  approbation.     They 

assure  the  future  of  a  woman,  and  save  her  from  coquetry.     They 

form  a  man  for  the  performance  of  his  duties  as  head  of  a  family, 

e2 


THE   WHITE  BACE. 


make  him  tlioughtful  for  the  future,  eave  him  £rom  liceutionsDess, 
?hich  wears  out  the  heart  as  well  as  the  constitution,  and  lastly, 
render  his  love  permanent  by  reducing  it  to  habit. 

"  When  the  wedding-day,  looked  forward  to  for  bo  many  years, 
arrives,  the  characters  of  man  and  woman  have  taken  their  re- 
spective stamp.  The  young  people  know  each  other ;  they  have 
no  ground  for  suspecting  deceit,  for  the  singleness  of  their  heart 
admits  of  only  one  affection. 


"  Evei'j'thing  here'  contributes  to  heighten  the  dignity  of 
woman.  From  her  girlhood,  and  during  the  years  in  which  her 
beauty  is  blossoming,  she  feels  herself  an  object  of  devotion— she 
is  viiatresa.  Whatever  she  grants,  however  slight  the  favour  maj 
be,  acquires  a  high  value.  The  offering  sanctified  by  her  kiss  is 
far  more  costly  than  gold ;  the  riband  she  has  worn  beooiOM 
equal  to  a  decoration." 

This  picture  of  Germnn  customs  has  special  reference  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Central  Germany,  the  Auatrians. 

It  is  in  the  central  portion  of  Germany  that  we  meet  with  this 
patient  activity,  and  the  gentle  manners  described  by  Dr.  Clavel. 


14.— BADKNEBS. 


64  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

But  these  qualities  are  far  from  being  the  attributes  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  North  and  West.  The  Germans  of  the  North  and 
West  appeared  in  their  true  character  during  the  war  of  1870, 
when  a  series  of  deplorable  fatalities  and  mournful  inconsistencies 
had  delivered  up  unhappy  France  to  the  mercy  of  the  invader. 
We  then  learnt  how  to  appreciate  this  reputation  for  good-nature, 
simplicity,  and  gentleness,  which  was  commonly  attached  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Ultra-Rhenic  countries.  The  good-nature 
developed  itself  into  an  undisguised  ferocity,  the  simplicity  into 
dark  duplicity,  and  the  gentleness  into  haughty  and  brutal 
violence.  The  hated  and  jealous  fury  of  the  Prussians,  who 
rushed  upon  France  with  tie  avowedLtention  of  reduciijg  her 
to  impotence,  and  erasing  her,  if  possible,  from  the  role  of 
nations ;  their  cold-blooded  cruelties  and  shameless  rapine,  are 
so  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  all  Frenchmen,  that  we  need  not 
recall  them.  Prussian  barbarity  attained  the  level  of  that  prac- 
tised by  the  Vandals  in  the  second  century. 

Our  scholars  have  found  some  diflSculty  in  explaining  the 
anomaly  which  existed  between  the  ferocious  conduct  of  the 
German  armies,  and  the  very  opposite  reputation  enjoyed  by  our 
neighbours  beyond  the  Rhine.  Accustomed  to  regard  the 
Germans  as  peaceful  and  gentle,  sentimental  and  dream}^  we, 
in  France,  were  painfully  surprised  to  find  facts  contrast  so 
cruelly  with  an  opinion  so  generally  entertained.  An  ethno- 
logical work,  published  in  1871  by  M.  de  Quatrefages  in  the 
^*  Reviie  dc8  Deux  Mondes,''*  has  afforded  a  scientific  explanation 
of  this  anomaly. 

M.  de  Quatrefages  has  shown,  by  considerations  at  once 
linguistic,  geological,  ethnological,  and  historical,  that  the 
Prussians,  properly  so  called,  that  is,  the  inhabitants  of  Pome- 
rania,  Mecklenburg,  Brandenburg,  and  Silesia,  have  but  little  in 
common  with  the  German  race — that  they  are  not,  in  fact, 
Germans,  but  result  from  a  mixture  of  Slavonians  and  Finns 
with  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  those  countries.  The  Finns 
overran,  at  a  very  early  period,  Pomerania  and  Eastern-Prussia ; 
later  on,  the  Slavonians  conquered  the  same  territor}'-,  as  well 
as  Brandenburg  and  Silesia.  Certain  Germanic  tribes — to 
which  add  the  results  of  a  French  immigration  into  Prussia, 
which  took  place  under  Louis  XIV.,  after  the  revocation  of  the 

*  Issue  of  Feb.  15th. 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  65 

edict  of  Nantes — must  be  joined  to  the  stock  of  Slavonians  and 
Finns,  in  order  to  make  up  the  Prussian  race  as  it  at  present 
exists.  The  ixorthem  Slavonians  possessed  a  well-known  coarse- 
ness of  manner,  and  were  of  large  stature  and  powerful  constitu- 
tion. The  Finns,  or  primitive  inhabitants  of  the  shores  of  the 
Baltic,  were  characterized  by  cunning  and  violence,  united  to  an 
extraordinary  tenacity.  The  modem  Prussians  revive  all  these 
ancestral  defects. 

M.  Godron,  a  naturalist  of  Nancy,  who  has  very  successfully 
studied  the  German  race,  says,  "  The  Prussians  are  neither  Ger- 
mans nor  Slavonians  :  they  are  Prussians  !  **  This  fact  is  now 
clearly  shown  by  the  investigations  of  M.  de  Quatrefages.  From 
an  ethnological  point  of  view,  the  Prussians  are  very  different 
from  the  German  populations,  who  are  now  subjected  to  the  rule 
of  the  Emperor  William  under  the  pretext  of  German  unity. 

Two  different  written  languages  exist  among  the  German 
people ;  that  of  the  Netherlands  and  German. 

The  Netherland  language  has  given  birth  to  three  dialects — 
Dutch,  Flemish,  and  Frieslaiidic, 

The  Dutch,  in  the  seventeenth  centur}^  were  the  gi'eatest 
maritime  commercial  people  in  the  world,  and  founded  at  that 
period  a  certain  number  of  colonies. 

The  Dutchman  is  by  nature  reserved  and  silent.  Simplicity 
is  the  marked  feature  of  his  character.  He  possesses  patriotic 
feeling  in  a  high  degree,  and  is  capable  of  enthusiasm  and  devo- 
tion in  the  defence  of  his  strange  and  cuiious  territory,  preserved 
from  the  sea  by  dykes  and  formidable  constructions,  and  irri- 
gated by  innumerable  canals,  which  form  the  ordinary  means  of 
communication,  and  which  link  together  the  seas  and  the  rivers, 
as  well  as  the  towns. 

English.— The  English  may  be  considered  as  resulting  from  a 
mixture  of  the  Saxons  and  Angles  with  the  people  who  inhabited 
the  British  Isles  before  the  Saxon  invasion. 

AVTience  came  and  who  were  the  Angles  and  Saxons  ? 

According  to  Tacitus,  the  Angles  were  a  small  nation  inhabit- 
ing the  regions  next  the  ocean.  The  Saxons,  according  to 
Ptolemy,  dwelt  between  the  mouths  of  the  Elbe  and  Schleswig. 
About  the  fifth  century  after  Christ,  the  Angles  and  Saxons  in- 
vaded the  British  Isles,  and  mingled  with  the  inhabitants,  who 


56  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

then  comprised  Celts,  Latins,  and  Arameans.  Daring  the  ninth, 
tenth,  and  eleventh  centuries,  fresh  invasions  of  Great  Britain, 
by  the  Normans  and  Danes,  added  to  this  blood,  already  so 
mixed,  another  foreign  infusion. 

From  this  medley  of  different  peoples  has  sprung  the  English 
nation,  in  whom  are  found  at  the  same  time,  the  patient  and 
persevering  character,  the  serious  disposition,  and  the  love  of 
family  life,  introduced  by  the  Saxons,  and  which  is  the  peculiarity 
of  the  German  nature,  combined  with  the  lightness  and  impres- 
sionability of  the  Celt. 

The  physical  type  which  is  the  result  of  this  mixture,  that  is, 
the  English  type,  corresponds  with  the  combination  of  races  we 
have  specified.  The  head  is  in  shape  long  and  high,  and  is  in 
this  respect  to  be  distinguished  from  the  square  heads  of  the 
Germans,  particularly  those  of  Suabia  and  Thuringia.  The 
English  generally  possess  a  clear  and  transparent  skin,  chestnut 
hair,  tall  and  slender  figures,  a  stiff  gait,  and  a  cold  physio- 
gnomy. Their  women  do  not  offer  the  noble  appearance  and 
luxm*ious  figiu'e  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  women;  but  their 
skins  surpass  in  transparency  and  brilliancy  those  of  the  female 
inhabitants  of  all  other  European  countries. 

We  borrow  a  few  pages  from  the  work  of  Dr.  Clavel  upon  "Le« 
Races  Humaines  et  leur  Part  dans  la  Civilisation,''  in  order  to 
convey  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  nature  and  customs  of  our 
neighbours  across  the  Channel : — 

"When  he  examines,"  says  Dr  Clavel,  " the  geographical  posi- 
tion of  England,  a  land  possessing  a  humid  rather  than  a  cold 
climate,  the  observer  pictures  to  himself  beforehand  that  he  is 
about  to  meet  a  people  of  imperious  appetite,  of  a* vigorous  cu*- 
culation,  of  a  powerfully  organized  locomotive  system,  and  a 
sanguineo-lymphatic  temperament.  The  power  of  the  digestive 
functions  shows  that  the  nervous  system  is  unable  to  obtain 
dominion,  and  that  there  is  a  lack  of  sensibility :  the  frequent 
fogs,  which  destroy  the  perfumes  of  the  earth,  the  stormy  winds 
of  the  ocean,  and  the  absence  of  wine,  announce  a  poverty  of 
sentiment  and  inspiration,  and  of  the  arts  founded  upon  them. 

"  The  level  plains,  which  are  as  a  rule  met  with  in  England, 
are  not  favourable  to  the  development  of  the  lower  extremities, 
and  it  is  a  fact  that  the  power  of  the  EngUsh  lies,  not  so  much  in 
the  Hegs,  as  in  the  arms,  shoulders,  and  loins.     The  fist  is  an 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  57 

Englishman's  natural  weapon,  either,  for  attack  or  defence ;  his 
popular  form  of  duel  is  boxing,  while  the  foot  plays  an  impoi-tant 
part  in  the  form  of  duel  which,  in  France,  bears  the  characteristic 
name  of  Savate. 

"  This  power  in  the  upper  regions  of  the  body  gives  to  an 
Englishman  a  peculiar  appearance.  In  view  of  his  brawny 
shoulders,  his  thick  and  muscular  neck,  and  broad  chest,  we 
rightly  divine  the  ready  workman,  the  daring  seaman,  the  inde-, 
fatigable  mechanic,  the  soldier  who  is  ready  to  die  at  his  post 
but  who  bears  up  with  difficulty  against  forced  marches  and 
hunger.  His  blond  or  reddish  liau',  his  white  skin  and  grey  eyes, 
bespeak  the  mists  of  his  country ;  the  barel}'  marked  nape  of  his 
neck,  and  the  oval  form  of  his  cranium,  indicate  that  Finn  blood 
flows  in  his  veins  ;  his  maxillar}'^  power,  and  the  size  of  his  teeth, 
evidence  a  preference  for  an  animal  diet.  He  has  the  high  fore- 
head of  the  thinker,  but  not  the  long  eyes  of  the  artist. 

**  The  insidar  position  of  England,  its  excellent  situation  upon 
the  Atlantic,  its  numerous  and  magnificent  seapoii  towns,  its 
watercom'ses  and  the  facilities  for  conducting  its  internal  naviga- 
tion, all  suggest  a  large  maritime  commerce  and  the  habits  which 
accompany  it.  But  neither  the  soil,  the  climate,  nor  the  geo- 
graphical i^osition,  can  account  for  tlie  aj^titudes  imported  by 
diflFerent  races. 

**  The  Englishman  is  two-fold — Celt  and  German — and  it  is 
only  a  superficial  examination  whicli  can  confound  them. 

**  The  Celt,  whom  in  the  absence  of  precise  notions  of  an  earlier 
population  we  have  come  to  consider  as  indigenous,  resembles  the 
Neo-Latin  races,  and,  above  all,  the  French.  He  rarely  exists 
collectively,  except  in  Ireland,  and*  some  momitainous  districts  of 
Wales  and  Scotland.  His  cranium  and  features  indicate  artistic 
aptitudes.  He  prefers  Chiistianity  in  the  Anglican  Catholic  form. 
Like  the  old  Gauls,  he  delights  in  wine,  laughter,  gaming,  dancing, 
conversation,  raillery,  and  fighting.  He  is  sj^irited  and  fond  of 
joking,  frank  and  hospitable  ;  but  his  versatility  renders  him 
incapable  of  steadily  pursuing  an  entei*i)rise  to  the  end,  of  careful 
reflection,  or  of  thought  for  the  futm'e.  Through  his  powerless- 
ness  to  combine  his  powers  and  act  collectively,  he  has  become 
a  prey  to  enemies,  who  were  superior  to  him  neither  in  number, 
courage,  nor  even  in  intelligence.  Old  and  joyous  England  and 
Ireland  became  subject  to  the  Dane,  the  Saxon,  and  the  Norman : 


58  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

they  lost  their  proverbial  gaiety,  their  bards,  their  democratic 
tendency,  and  their  civilization. 

"  The  physical  and  moral  differences  between  the  modem 
conquerors  of  England  were  but  slight.  They  all  came  from  the 
coasts  of  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  all  possessed  the  elementary  cha- 
racteristics of  the  German  and  Scandinavian,  and  the  aptitudes 
which  they  inherited  from  the  old  Sea  Kings.  They  had,  more- 
over, strength,  which  bade  them  regard  conquest  as  a  right,  and 
take  what  they  desired ;  pride,  which  bade  them  hold  up  their 
head  even  against  the  storm ;  individual  initiative,  which  de- 
manded, above  all  things,  personal  liberty;  a  tenacity,  that 
nothing  discouraged ;  an  intelligence,  capable  of  every  subtlety  ; 
a  general  sensuality,  which  converted  the  bodily  necessities  into  a 
means  of  enjoyment ;  a  lack  of  sentiment,  which  pre-supposed  a 
want  of  aptitude  for  art ;  and,  lastly,  a  temperament  which  was 
calm  and  robust  under  all  circimistances. 

"  This  type,  which  is  still  found  among  all  branches  of  society, 
not  excepting  the  aristocracy,  has  been  modified  by  its  combina- 
tion with  the  Celtic  element,  but  it  still  remains  predominant. 
The  Saxon,  as  a  rule,  absorbs  or  destroys  the  other  races ;  we 
may  say,  he  diinks  in  their  vitality,  but  is  unable  to  assimilate 
himself  to  their  temperament. 

"  We  must,  therefore,  expect  to  find  the  customs  of  England 
proper,  more  Scandinavian  than  Celtic.  The  pleasures  of  olden 
time  have  fallen  off;  the  merry  gossips  of  those  days  find  no 
place  but  in  literature  ;  raillery,  when  it  comes  from  Saxon  lips, 
is  armed  with  sharp  teeth,  and  tears  away  the  morsel  it  attacks. 

"When  intelligence  is  averted  from  the  ideal,  and  constantly 
directed  towards  the  positive  matters  of  life,  it  acquires  the  habit 
of  considering  in  all  things  the  question  of  profit  and  loss ;  it 
becomes  averse  to  waste,  which  destroys  property  unprofitably,  and 
loves  order,  without  which,  material  prosperity  is  impossible ;  it 
guides  the  organic  forces  to  productive  industry,  agriculture,  and 
commerce,  where  they  are  fostered  and  matured  ;  and  last  of  all, 
to  speculation,  which  anticipates  the  greater  part  of  the  fruits  of 
commerce,  agriculture,  and  manufacture.  The  Saxon  finds  every- 
where the  means  of  speculating,  aided  in  his  manoeuvres  by  the  intri- 
cacy of  his  commercial  laws.  As  a  consequence  of  his  phlegmatic 
temperament,  he  gives  way  neither  to  the  snares  of  enthusiasm, 
nor  to  the  deceptions  of  discouragement.    He  reasons  aright,  both 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  59 

for  the  present  and  the  future.  In  dealing  craftily  with  his 
antagonist,  he  is  well  able  to  guard  himself  against  the  weaknesses 
of  feeling.  His  face  rarely^betrays  his  convictions,  and  his  features 
are  devoid  of  the  mobility  which  would  prove  disadvantageous. 

"  Thus  it  is  that  the  Enghshman  joins  subtlety  to  will ;  hence 
his  practical  power.  Being  strong  and  able,  he  acquires  a  con- 
fidence in  himself  which  easily  degenerates  into  pride,  and  saves 
him  from  smallness  of  character.  He  is  neither  obsequious,  nor 
prone  to  flattery ;  he  casts  on  one  side  the  refinements  of  polite- 
ness, which  he  regards  as  humiliating  in  one  who  employs  them ; 
he  keeps  his  word,  and  considers  that  he  would  be  dishonoured 
in  breaking  it ;  but  he  makes  the  best  of  all  his  advantages.  For 
him,  life  is  a  struggle  for  triumph,  without  regard  for  those  who 
are  unable  to  contend,  and  who  succumb  in  the  attempt.  He  asks 
no  pity,  and  gives  but  little ;  he  cannot  be  called  cruel,  for  cruelty 
is  a  form  of  weakness ;  but  he  does  not  hesitate  to  oppress  an 
enemy,  when  to  do  so  would  be  productive  of  material  advantage. 
In  attaching  to  an  Englishman  the  characteristic  of  indi^ddual 
initiative,  which  is  met  with  among  all  the  branches  of  the 
Germanic  tree,  we  rightly  expect  to  find  liim  fond  of  liberty, 
without  which  his  powers  would  have  no  vent. 

"But  this  Uberty  would  soon  lead  him  to  destruction,  did  he 
not  join  to  it  the  spirit  of  propriety,  and  temper  it  with  the  love 
of  order,  which  he  acquires  in  his  industrial  and  commercial 
pursuits. 

" .  .  .  .  His  arts  are  wanting  neither  in  talent,  observation, 
delicacy,  nor  himiour;  they  represent  men  and  things  with  the 
most  scrupulous  accuracy;  but  they  lac;k  feeling,  wannth,  and 
ideality;  they  know  not  how  to  bring  the  passions  into  play, 
and  are  unable  to  soar  above  the  descriptive.  His  stage  is  a 
failure,  as  is  his  music,  both  in  themselves  pure  creations  of 
feeUng ;  and  his  architecture  is  governed  by  the  nature  of  mate- 
rials, and  the  application  of  his  buildings  to  the  needs  of  life. 
This  rage  for  practical  convenience,  which  makes  the  London 
houses  so  unsightly,  has  also  been  instrumental  in  simplify- 
ing his  language  to  amphibology,  and  curtailing  the  accent 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  create  discord.  When  hannony  in  the 
means  of  expressing  thought  is  wanting,  the  art  of  talking  well 
is  no  longer  exercised  in  conversation,  but  becomes  concenti*ated 
in  discourse.     There  is  scarcely  an  intermediate  between  the 


60  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

latter  form  of  speech,  and  incorrect  conversation  among  indi- 
viduals. The  result  of  this  is,  that  the  Englishman,  on  almost 
every  occasion,  expresses  himself  in  speeches,  which  are  listened 
to  and  commented  upon  with  an  imperturbable  patience,  but 
which  have  the  grave  fault  of  imparting  to  social  relations  a  tone 
of  pedantry  and  stifihess.  As  soon  as  that  exists,  there  is  no 
longer  any  room  for  fun  and  humour.  Following  out  the  spirit 
of  formality,  many  things  become  no  longer  permissible,  or 
cannot  be  dealt  with  except  by  reference  to  strict  rules.  Pro- 
priety, therefore,  includes,  over  and  above  pure  politeness,  a 
number  of  conventionalities  which  in  themselves  constitute  nothing 
less  than  a  social  tyranny.  An  act,  which,  everywhere  else, 
would  be  regarded  as  perfectly  natural,  easily  becomes  food  for 
scandal ;  and  in  society,  by  far  the  gi'eater  number  of  those  one 
meets  abstain  from  action,  speech,  or  gesticulation.  An  icy 
reserve  is  the  tone  generally  assumed. 

"  In  such  society  as  this,  indiscretion  and  flippancy  ai*e  almost 
out  of  the  question.  But,  although  the  English  scorn  a  lie,  they 
cannot  speak  the  whole  truth :  they  find  it  necessary  to  reserve  a 
portion,  and  frequently  the  most  im2)ortant  part.  The  result 
is  a  peculiar  fonn  of  hj-pocrisy  which  bears  the  name  of  cant, 
and  which  is  really  the  bane  of  English  society.  Owing  to  this, 
social  life  is  enclosed  in  a  circle  of  intolerance  which  impairs  to 
it  a  painful  uniformity.  Each  person  is  obliged  to  do  as  every 
one  else,  to  such  an  extent,  that  in  the  land  of  liberty,  the  spirit 
is  oppressed  and  dejected  to  a  degi'ee  suggestive  of  suicide. 
Hence  it  is  that  so  many  Enghsh,  in  order  to  escape  spleen,  are 
forced  to  leave  theu'  country. 

**  The  Englishwoman  is  tall,  fair,  and  strongly  built.  Her 
skin  is  of  dazzling  freshness ;  her  features  are  small  and  elegantly 
formed ;  the  oval  of  her  face  is  marked,  but  it  is  somewhat  heavy 
toward  the  lower  portion ;  her  hair  is  fine,  silky,  and  charming ; 
and  her  long  and  graceful  neck  imparts  to  the  movements  of  her 
head  a  character  of  grace  and  pride. 

"So  far,  all  about  her  is  essentially  feminine;  but  upon 
analyzing  her  bust  and  limbs,  we  find  that  the  large  bones, 
peculiar  to  her  race,  interfere  with  the  delicacy  of  her  form,  enlarge 
her  extremities,  and  lessen  the  elegance  of  her  postures  and  the 
harmony  of  her  movements. 

"  Woman  moves  about  two  centres,  which  are  the  head  and 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  61 

the  heart.  The  latter  deals  mth  bodily  grace,  roundness  and 
delicacy  of  form,  inspiration  in  feeling,  devotion  in  love, 
sympathy,  a  manifold  and  undefinable  seductiveness,  a  sort  of 
divine  radiance,  which  is  grace,  tenderness,  and  all  that  is 
charming.  The  former  supplies  intelligence,  spirit,  animation, 
and  consistency  of  action. 

"If  all  we  see  in  an  Italian  or  Spanish  woman  tells  of  the 
supremacy  of  heart,  which  Lord  Byron  loved  so  much,  all  in  the 
Englishwoman  reveals  mental  superiority.  Her  physical  and 
mental  powers  are  well  balanced. 

"  There  are  few  mental  occupations  in  which  a  daughter  of 
Great  Britain  cannot  engage.  She  acquires  knowledge  with 
facility;  she  writes  with  elegance,  and  would  be  capable  at  a 
stretch  of  improvising  a  speech;  she  is  witty  and  even 
brilliant;  capable  of  dealing  with  abstract  sciences;  she  can 
contend  with  the  other  sex  in  sagacity  and  depth ;  yet  her  con- 
versation does  not  captivate.  She  lacks  a  thousand  feminine 
instincts,  and  this  lack  is  revealed  in  her  toilette,  the  posture  she 
assiunes,  and  in  her  actions  and  movements.  She  rarely  possesses 
musical  taste.  Her  language  and  song  do  not  captivate  the  ear ; 
her  appreciation  of  colour,  form,  and  perfume,  are  at  fault.  She 
loves  what  is  striking,  and  instead  of  attaining  harmony,  revels 
in  discord. 

"No  aristocracy,  can,  with  reference  to  ability,  be  compared 
with  that  of  England.  Having  ensured  the  influence  of  wealth 
by  seizing  the  land,  and  substituting  in  its  possession  the  son 
for  the  father,  by  virtue  of  the  right  of  piimogeniture,  it  has 
given  the  legislative  power  to  the  proprietors  of  the  soU,  through 
the  mediimi  of  a  House  of  Peers,  whose  prerogatives  and  domains 
pass  to  the  eldest  son,  and  of  a  House  of  Commons,  the  right 
to  elect  whose  members  is  centred  chiefly  in  the  tenants  of  large 
proprietors.  Where  the  nobility  enjoy  such  privileges,  royalty 
necessarily  assumes  a  dependent  position,  and  becomes  merely 
an  instrument.  Positions  of  influence  in  the  administration,  the 
army,  the  magistracy,  and  the  church,  fall  of  right  to  families  of 
distinction,  who  dispose  of  all  the  strength  of  the  coimtry,  and 
apply  it  for  the  benefit  of  their  own  caste.  Taxation  is  organized 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  weigh  chiefly  upon  the  lower  classes, 
while  the  produce  falls  to  the  advantage  of  the  privileged  class  as 
emoluments. 


62  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

"...  Before  the  British  aristocracy  could  attain  the  import- 
ance it  now  possesses,  many  conquests  were  necessary,  to  which 
the  substance  of  Spain,  Portugal,  Holland,  and  of  a  hundred  and 
thirty  millions  of  Indians,  has  fEdlen  a  prey.  The  attainment  of 
this  object,  has,  moreover,  forced  fifteen  millions  of  English  people 
to  exist  upon  a  daily  stipend,  when  there  is  any  stipend  at  all ; 
and,  to  aid  it,  the  cannon  has  opened  the  frontiers  of  China  to 
the  opium  trade,  and  to  the  products  of  manufactures  which  must 
either  sell  or  succimib.  The  only  material  compensation  for  all 
these  evils,  is,  that  immense  power  is  given  to  wealth.  The  culti^ 
vation  of  luxury,  in  every  form,  has  increased  tenfold  the  number 
of  objects  to  be  provided.  The  houses  are  crowded  with  a 
number  of  articles  of  furniture,  the  use  of  which  is  a  science  in 
itself;  the  tables  are  loaded  with  an  infinite  variety  of  dishes^ 
fruits,  plate,  and  glass ;  stuffs  of  a  thousand  different  shades  are 
offered  to  the  caprice  of  fashion,  to  be  used  either  in  adorning 
the  person,  or  in  the  decoration  of  apartments ;  but  for  all  that, 
the  house  is  neither  more  beautiful  nor  more  wholesome  as  an 
abode,  the  table  is  not  more  hospitable  or  more  joyous,  nor  is  the 
dress  more  elegant  or  warm;  comfort  stifles  what  is  merely 
beautiful,  which  wealthy  men  always  associate  with  a  large 
outlay. 

"  Among  the  English  aristocracy  we  must  expect,  neither  the 
-exquisite  elegance  of  the  Latin  aristocracy,  nor  the  appreciation 
of  art,  which,  in  Italy,  and  even  in  France,  gives  birth  to  so  many 
marvels. 

"  Wealth  has  been  able  to  accumulate  in  the  galleries  of  private 
persons,  pictures  and  statues,  the  work  of  other  nations,  but  has 
been  quite  unable  to  raise  up  a  school  of  architecture,  of  paintings 
or  of  sculpture ;  or  even  to  assign  a  single  division  to  music. 
Workers  and  statesmen  abound  in  England  ;  but  the  condition  of 
artists  is  bad  in  the  extreme.  A  great  poet  emerges  from  the 
ranks  of  the  nobility,  and  employs  his  talent  in  scourging  the 
aristocracy,  and  laying  bare  the  customs  of  his  country.  Eminent 
writers  assign  a  philosophic  value  to  the  romance  of  gentle  blood, 
and  paint  in  the  blackest  colours  the  mercantile  and  feudal  genius. 

"  The  men  of  iron^  who  have  transformed  England  into  a  sort 
of  freehold,  seem  to  think  themselves  altogether  different  from  the 
rest  of  humanity ;  they  pass  through  the  midst  of  other  populations 
without  being  influenced  by  the  contact^  or  modifying  the  etiquette 


C.Q,)li)>!S& 


1 5.  — SHCUSUM  A  H. 


64        •  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

• 

which  rules  their  excesses  at  table  and  in  drinking,  and  which 
governs  field  sports  and  courtship.  A  word  or  gesture  is  sufficient 
to  mark  its  author  as  of  low  breeding,  and  to  jar  upon  the  nerves  of 
the  nobility,  which  are  susceptible  of  still  greater  irritation,  when 
writers  of  ability  venture  to  speak  of  lords  as  of  simple  mortals ; 
but  this  *scandal  has  been  obviated  in  the  fashionable  novel,  in  ' 
which,  amid  a  halo  of  ennui,  aristocratic  decorum  shines  forth. 

"All  this  is  productive  of  a  meditated  coldness  and  repulsive 
pride,  which  renders  expansion  and  joviality  impossible.  Moral 
oppression  and  ennui  permeate  their  whole  life,  and  in  the 
end  render  existence  insupportable.  These  rich  and  powerful 
men  become  the  victims  of  spleen, 

"  Those  who  find  no  relief  in  political  struggles,  seek  in  foreign 
countries  change  and  diversion ;  the  more  robust  shai'e  their  time 
between  the  table,  their  horses,  and  their  dogs ;  they  drink  to  a 
frightful  extent;  they  unearth  the  fox,  and  follow  him  on  horseback, 
clearing  every  object  although  at  the  risk  of  their  neck,  or  else 
they  travel  a  hundred  leagues  to  see  a  thorough-bred  horse  run,  and 
to  risk  upon  him  what  would  make  the  fortune  of  ten  plebeians. 

"  Such  a  life  as  this  can  be  led  0|ily  in  the  country.  It  must 
therefore  be  noticed  that  the  E^igUsh  nobility  pass  nine  months 
out  of  the  year  at  their  country  seats,  in  the  exercise  of  the 
gorgeous  hospitality  which  is  met  with  in  all  large  oligarchies, 
and  cultivating  there  the  comforts  of  ease  to  a  degree  bordering 
on  fanaticism. 

"  Beneath  the.  shade  of  feudality,  exists  a  class  of  fanners, 
manufacturers,  merchants,  capitalists,  and  speculators,  which 
consoles  itself  for  the  humiliations  it  experiences  by  those 
which,  in  its  turn,  it  inaposes  on  the  lower  classes.  This  middle 
class,  oppressed  by  that  above,  and  menaced  by  that  below  it,  pre- 
sents a  singular  mixture  of  timidity  and  resolution.  Its  existence, 
ever  precarious,  makes  it  easily  susceptible  of  alarm,  ready  to 
}ield  to  the  terms  of  the  powerful,  or  to  assume  any  character. 
Its  enthusiasm  and  admiration  are  inexhaustible,  when  it  foresees, 
in  the  conduct  of  its  supenprs,  some  gain  to  itself;  but  the  resist- 
ance it  offers  is  most  powerfully  adroit  when  public  affairs  tend  to 
do  it  harm.  Danger  hardly  ever  takes  it  by  surprise,  as  its  signs 
are  seen  from  afar  and  anticipated. 

**  One  would  almost  expect  to  find  Israelitish  traits  of  character 
in  people  who  make  the  Bible  their  book  of  books ;  who,  while 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  65 

undergoing  extortion,  still  retain  the  feeling  of  dignity,  who  are 
passionately  fond  of  money  and  whatever  conduces  to  its  posses- 
sion ;  who  risk  that  they  may  gain,  and  compensate  one  chance 
of  loss  by  three  chances  of  profit ;  who  respect  the  letter  of  the 
law  more  than  its  intention,  and  who  employ  commercial  upright- 
ness as  a  clever  means  of  making  a  fortune. 

**  In  the  middle  class,  the  British  aristocracy  finds  a  means  of 
keeping  under  the  proletarian  class,  true  representatives  of  the  old 
Celts.  These  unfortunate  men  are  reproached,  with  drunkenness, 
to  which  they  fly  as  a  means  of  forgetting  their  misfortunes ;  with 
brutality,  which  exhibits  itself  in  blows,  injuries,  prize  fights,  and 
cock-fighting ;  with  coarse  sensuality,  which  feeds  upon  meat  and 
beer ;  with  selfishness,  which  extends  even  to  the  glasses  of 
drinkers ;  and  lastly,  with  stronger  ciiminal  desires  than  are  met 
with  among  other  civilized  nations. 

"  But  in  spite  of  these  vices,  the  sad  fruit  of  misery,  wretched- 
ness, and  ignorance,  they  possess  substantial  virtues.  The 
English  workman  has  in  his  heart  an  innate  feeling  of  generosity. 
He  is  gentle  to  the  weak,  and  rude  to  the  strong.  Goodness 
charms  him,  and  whatever  is  generous  is  sure  to  meet  with  his 
support.  Although  blinded  by  self-interest  to  the  point  of  being 
altogether  without  a  notion  of  justice,  he  can  hardly  be  accused 
of  avarice,  since  he  gives  cheerfully.  His  friendship  is  firm, 
although  by  no  means  demonstrative ;  he  Jieeps  his  word,  and 
despises  an  untruth.  Reverses  redouble  instead  of  causing  him 
to  abate  his  efforts ;  he  never  despairs  of  what  he  undertakes, 
since  he  is  ready  to  sacrifice  all  for  success,  even  his  life.  He 
has  none  of  the  sordid  vanities  which  stain  the  intermediate 
classes.  For  his  country,  which  is  to  him  less  a  mother  than  a 
step-mother,  he  entertains  fin  inexhaustible  affection.  To  her  he 
devotes  his  whole  existence  ;  he  is  rewarded  by  his  own  admira- 
tion of  her,  and  deludes  himself  so  far  as  to  call  her  *  Jolly  Old 
England.'  " 

Transplanted  into  the  New  World,  the  Englishman  has  already 
assumed  a  tj'pe  varying  somewhat  from  that  we  have  described — 
the  Yankees,  as  the  Indians  call  them,  that  is  to  say,  the  silen 
men  (Ya-no-ki),  have  lost  in  North  America  the  general  character 
and  physiognomy  which  they  possessed  in  the  mother-country. 
A  new  type,  moral  and  physical^  approaching  more  to  that  of  the 


66  THE -WHITE    RACE, 

Southern  Bed  Indians,  has  been  formed  among  the  inhabitants  of 
North  America,  which  type  is  exaggerated  towards  the  West, 
where  men  are  rougher  and  coarser  than  in  the  North. 

Latin  Family, 

The  Latin  family  originated  in  Italy,  whence  it  extended  its 
conquests  over  a  large  portion  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  thus 
forming  the  Boman  empire.  At  the  present  time  the  Latin 
languages  are  spoken  only  in  certain  portions  of  this  vast  empire, 
namely,  in  Italy,  Spain,  France,  and  some  other  countries  in  the 
south-east  of  Europe. 

The  people  who  belong  to  the  Latin  family  are,  in  general, 
of  a  middle  stature,  with  black  hair  and  eyes,  and  a  complexion 
susceptible  of  turning  brown  under  the  sun's  action ;  but  they 
present  many  variations.  They  speak  numerous  dialects,  which 
frequently  become  confounded  one  with  another. 

Among  the  people  who  form  the  Latin  family  are  separately 
classed :  the  French,  the  Spaniards,  the  Italians,  and  the  Moldo- 
WcMachians. 

French. — The  Franks  proceeded  from  the  mixture  of  the  Gauls 
with  the  ancient  inliabitants  of  the  land,  that  is,  the  people  who 
in  olden  times  were  indifferently  called  Aquitanians  or  Iberians, 
and  of  whom  a  few  are  still  to  be  found  in  the  Basque  inhabitants 
of  the  lower  regions 'of  the  Pyrenees,  recognized  at  once  by  their 
language,  which  is  that  of  the  old  Iberians. 

But  who  were  these  Gauls,  who,  by  combination  with  the 
national  blood  of  the  Iberians,  formed  the  Franks  ? 

The  Gauls  were  a  branch  of  the  Celts  (or  Gaels),  an  ancient 
race  of  men,  who  coming  from  Asia,  at  an  early  period  overran 
and  occupied  a  portion  of  Western  Europe,  more  particularly  that 
portion  which  now  forms  Belgium,  France  as  far  as  the  Garonne, 
and  a  part  of  Switzerland.  Later  on,  the  Celts  or  Oaels  extended 
their  conquests  as  far  even  as  the  British  Isles.  It  was  in  the 
twelfth  or  tenth  century  before  Christ  that  they  invaded  Gaul, 
and  subdued  the  indigenous  Iberian  population. 

Of  their  Asiatic  origin  the  Celts  preserved  no  more  than  a  few 
dogmas  of  Eastern  worship,  the  organization  of  a  priestly  sect,  and 
a  language,  which,  through  its  close  connection  with  the  sacred 
language  of  the  Indian  Brahmins,  reveals  the  kinship  which 
united  these  people  with  those  of  Asia. 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  67 

The  Celts  were  a  nomadic  people,  and  lived  essentially  by  hunt- 
ing and  pasturage.  The  men  were  very  tall :  their  height  being, 
it  has  been  asserted,  from  six  to  seven  feet.  Many  tribes  dyed  their 
skin  with  a  colour  extracted  from  the  leaf  of  the  woad.  Others 
tattooed  themselves.  Many  adorned  their  arms  or  breasts  with 
heavy  chains  of  gold,  or  clothed  themselves  in  tissues  of  bright 
colours,  analogous  to  the  Scotch  tartan.  Later  on  they  gave 
themselves  up  to  greater  luxury.  Above  their  timic  they  wore  the 
saya^  a  short  cloak,  striped  with  purple  bands  and  embroidered 
with  gold  or  sUver.  Among  the  poorer  classes  this  saya  was 
replaced  by  the  skin  of  some  animal,  or  by  a  cloak  of  coarse  and 
dark-coloured  wool.  Others  wore  the  simar,  which  is  analogous 
to  the  modem  blouse  or  the  caraco  of  the  Normandy  peasants. 
The  second  article  of  dress  worn  by  the  Gaelic  men,  was  a  tight 
and  narrow  form  of  trouser,  the  braya.  The  women  wore  an 
ample  puckered  tunic  with  an  apron.  Some  restricted  their 
dress  to  a  leathern  bag. 

Their  weapons  consisted  of  stone  knives,  axes  furnished 
with  sharp  flint  or  shell  points,  clubs,  and  spears  hardened  in 
the  fire.  Celtic  stone  hatchets  are  common  in  the  West  of 
France. 

The  Celts  were  warlike  and  bold.  They  marched  against  the 
■enemy  to  the  sound  of  the  karrnuv,  a  sort  of  trumpet,  the  top 
of  which  represented  a  wUd  beast  crowned  with  flowers.  As  soon 
as  the  signal  was  given,  the  front  rank  threw  itself  stark  naked 
and  impetuously  into  the  struggle. 

Leading  a  wandering  form  of  life,  the  Celts  constructed  no 
fixed  habitations.  They  moved  from  one  pasturage  to  another 
in  covered  waggons,  erecting  simple  cabins,  which  they  abandoned 
after  a  few  days.  They  sometimes  took  shelter  in  caves,  sleeping 
upon  a  little  straw,  or  the  skins  of  animals  spread  upon  the  earth. 
More  frequently,  however,  they  ate  and  slept  under  the  open  sky. 
Fond  of  tales  and  recitations,  they  appear  to  have  been  in- 
quisitive and  garrulous.     Their  habits  were  peaceful. 

A  branch  of  the  Celtic  family,  the  Cymris,  who,  like  their  pre- 
decessors, originally  came  from  Asia,  (Overran  the  fertile  plains 
which  extend  from  the  moorlands  at  Bordeaux  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Khine,  their  course  being  arrested  toward  the  west  only  by 
the  ocean,  toward  the  east  by  the  Yosges,  and  toward  the  south- 
east by  the  mountains  of  Auvergne  and  the  last  ridges  of  the 

F  2 


68  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

Pyrenees  and  the  Cevennes,  The  Cymris,  or  Belgians,  brought 
with  them  the  simplicity  of  the  north,  and  having  built  towns, 
called  upon  the  Gaels  to  join  them. 

These  two  groups,  distinct  in  themselves  although  of  the  same 
race,  lived  apart  in  some  countries,  while  in  others  they  held 
supremacy.  The  Irish  and  the  Highlanders  of  Scotland  were 
Gaels.  The  Gaelic  element  also  predominated  in  Eastern  France. 
The  inhabitants  of  Wales,  Belgium,  and  Brittany  belonged  to 
the  Cymrian  branch;  but  the  Romans  confoimded  these  two 
races  under  the  general  name  of  Britons  in  Great  Britain,  and 
Gauls  in  Gaul. 

We  will  briefly  review  the  physical  types,  manners,  and 
customs  of  the  Gauls. 

At  the  time  when  Julius  Ccesar  invaded  and  conquered  tlie 
Gauls,  they  were  distinguished  as  the  northern,  north-eastern, 
western,  and  southern  Gauls.  The  first  were  remarkable  for  the 
abundance  and  length  of  their  .hair ;  hence  their  name  of  long- 
Jiaired  Gauls.  Those  of  the  south  and  south-east  were  known  as 
the  hraya-tvearing  Gavls. 

The  Gauls  used  artificial  means  of  giving  to  their  hair  a  bright 
red  colour.  Some  allowed  it  to  fall  around  their  shoulders ; 
others  tied  it  in  a  tuft  above  the  head.  Some  wore  only 
thicfi  mustachios,  others  retained  the  whole  beard. 

When  arming  for  battle,  the  Gauls  donned  the  saya.  They 
used  afrows,  slings,  one-edged  swords  in  iron  or  copper,  and  a 
sort  of  halberd,  which  inflicted  terrible  wounds.  A  metal  casque, 
ornamented  with  the  horns  of  the  elk,  buffalo,  or  stag,  covered 
the  head  of  the  common  soldier,  that  of  the  rich  warrior  being 
adorned  with  flowing  pliunes,  while  figures  of  birds  or  wild 
beasts  were  wrought  upon  the  crest.  The  buckler  was  covered 
with  hideous  figures.  Beneath  a  breast-plate  of  wrought-iron  the 
warrior  wore  a  coat  of  mail,  the  produce  of  Gallic  industry.  He 
further  adorned  himself  with  necklaces ;  and  the  scarves  of  the 
chiefs  glittered  with  gold,  silver,  or  coraL  The  standard  con- 
sisted  of  a  wild  boar,  formed  of  metal  or  bronze,  and  fixed  at  the 
end  of  a  staff.  • 

The  Gauls  dwelt  in  spacious  circular  habitations,  built  of 
rough  stones,  cemented  together  with  clay,  or  composed  of  stakes 
and  hurdles,  filled  up  with  earth  within  and  without.  The  roof, 
which  was  ample  and  solid,  was  composed  of  strong  planks  cut 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  69 

into  the  form  of  tiles,  and  of  stubble  or  chopped  straw  kneaded 
with  clay. 

The  wealthy  Gaul,  besides  his  to?m  residence,  possessed  a 
countr}'  house.  His  wooden  tables  were  very  low,  and  in  them 
excavations  were  made  which  answered  the  purpose  of  plates  and 
dishes.  The  guests  sat  upon  trusses  of  hay  or  straw,  upon 
hassocks  formed  of  rushes,  or  forms  with  wooden  backs.  They 
slept  in  a  kind  of  press,  formed  of  planks,  similar  to  those  which 
are  met  with  in  some  cottages  of  Brittany  and  Savoy.  They 
had  earthen  vessels,  of  delicate  grey  or  black  pottery,  more  or 
less  ornamented,  and  brazen  vases.  They  used  horns  as  drinking- 
vessels. 

The  Gauls  ate  little  bread,  but  a  great  deal  of  roast  or  boiled 
meat.  As  a  rule,  they  tore  with  the  teeth  pieces  which  they  held 
in  their  hands.  The  poor  drank  beer,  or  other  less  costly 
beverages ;  the  rich,  aromatic  wines. 

The  beauty  of  the  Gallic  women  was  proverbial.  The  elegance 
of  their  figure,  the  purity  of  their  features,  and  the  whiteness  of 
their  skins,  were  universally  admired.  To  captivate  these  fierce 
men  they  made  abundant  use  of  coquetry.  In  order  to  heighten 
the  freshness  of  their  complexions,  they  bathed  themselves  with 
the  foam  of  beer,  or  chalk  dissolved  in  vinegar.  They  dyed 
their  eyebrows  with  soot,  or  a  liquid  extracted  from  a  fish 
called  orphL  Their  cheeks  they  coloured  with  vermilion, 
and  dressed  their  hair  with  lime  in  order  to  make  it  blond,  and 
covering  it  with  network,  let  it  fall  behind,  or  else  turned  it  up 
crestwise.  They  wore  as  many  as  four  tunics,  one  above  the 
other,  veiled  their  head  with  part  of  their  cloak,  and  wore  a  mitre 
or  Phrygian  head-dress. 

Any  ordinary  person  who  died  was  interred  in  a  manner 
suitable  to  their  sex  and  condition,  with  arrow-heads,  hatchets, 
flint  knives,  necklaces,  rings,  bracelets,  articles  of  pottery,  i&c. 
The  grave  was  marked  by  an  unhewn  stone,  which  was  surrounded 
with  herbs,  moss,  or  flowers.  These  tombstones  were  raised  up 
in  the  plains,  by  the  way-side,  and  amid  the  deep  shade  of  the 
forests.  They  were  guarded  by  a  statue  of  Tentates,  one  of 
whose  cheeks  was  painted  white,  the  other  black. 

When  a  chief  died,  his  body  was  burnt.  In  order  to  do  this, 
the  body  was  placed  upon  a  pile  of  resinous  wood,  with  his 
weapons  of  war  and  of  the  chase,  his  charger  and  dogs,  and  some- 


70  THE  WHITE  RACE. 

times  even,  his  slaves.  While  the  flames  devoured  the  body^  the 
bystanders  uttered  loud  crieS|  and  the  warriors  clashed  their 
shields.  The  half-calcined  bones  were  enclosed  in  an  urn  of 
coarse  earth,  rudely  ornamented  with  a  few  engravings  or  figures 
in  bas  relief.  This  urn  w&s  then  deposited  beneath  a  tumulus 
covered  with  turf.  In  southern  Gaul  it  was  placed  beneath  a 
funeral  column. 

In  order  to  render  complete  the  idea  which  we  should  wish  to 
convey  of  the  outward  appearance  of  the  GaulSi  we  must  say  a 
few  words  about  the  Druids. 

The  Druids  were  the  priests  of  the  Gauls,  a  clergy  powerful 
by  reason  of  their  political  duties  and  judicial  functions.  The 
Druids  led  a  solitary  life  in  the  depth  of  oak  forests  and  in 
secluded  caves.  They  wore  a  distinctive  dress,  their  robes  reach- 
ing  down  to  the  ground.  During  religious  ceremonies  they 
covered  their  shoulders  with  a  species  of  white  surplice,  and  upon^ 
their  pontifical  dress  was  displayed  a  crescent  which  had  reference 
to  the  last  phase  of  the  moon.  Their  feet  were  furnished  with 
pentagonal  wooden  sandals ;  they  allowed  their  hair  to  grow 
long,  and  shaved  off  their  beards.  In  their  hand  they  carried  a 
sort  of  white  wand,  and  suspended  from  their  neck  an  amulet  of 
oval  shape  set  in  gold. 

We  said  the  Franks  proceeded  from  the  mixture  of  the  Graula 
with  the  Iberian  natives  of  the  country,  joined  later  on  to  the 
Bomans,  the  Greeks,  and  more  recently  still  to  the  Alanians,  the 
Goths,  the  Burgundians,  and  the  Suevians.     Having  spoken  of 
the  Gauls,  we  shall  now  proceed  to  describe  the  Franks. 

The  Frank  was  tall  in  height,  with  a  very  white  skin.  Woe 
sparkling  eyes,  and  a  powerful  voice.  His  face  was  shaven,  save 
upon  the  upper  lip,  which  carried  a  heavy  mustachio.  Qis 
hair,  of  a  beautiful  blond  colour,  was  cut  behind,  and  long  in  front* 
His  dress  was  so  short  as  not  to  cover  his  knees,  and  fitted 
tightly,  showing  plainly  the  form  of  the  body.  He  wore  a 
shoulder-belt,  ornamented  with  nails,  and  plates  of  silver  or  inlaid 
metal.  From  his  girdle  hung  an  iron  knife,  an  axe  with  short. 
handle  and  heavy  keen  iron  head  (battle-axe),  a  very  sharp  poU'^ 
derous  sword,  and  a  pike  of  medium  length,  the  stout  point  of  which 
was  armed  with  several  barbs  or  sharp  teeth,  turned  back  as  in  a 
fish-hook.  Before  going  to  battle,  the  Frank  dyed  his  hair  red*. 
The  hair  itself  was  frequently  held  together  by  a  golden  net,  or  a 


16. — DRU1IM,   OADLa,    AHD  VRAHKS. 


72  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

copper  circlet ;  at  other  times  lie  dressed  himself  with  the  spoils 
of  wild  beasts. 

We  are  able  to  extract  from  historical  recitals  an  exact  idea  of 
the  Frankish  woman.  She  was  powerful,  and  wore  a  long  robe  of 
dark  colour,  or  bordered  with  purple.  Her  arms  were  left  un- 
covered, and  her  head  was  wreathed  with  flowering  broom.  Her 
looks,  sometimes  fierce,  bespoke  masculine  vigour  and  a  character 
which  did  not  shrink  from  sanguinary  conflict. 

The  Celtic  and  Iberian  languages  gradually  disappeared  among 
the  Franks,  being  replaced  by  Latin  dialects. 

The  Gauls  and  Franks,  who  were  subdued  by  the  Romans,  re- 
ceived into  their  blood  the  Latin  element,  which  rapidly  increased. 
Restrained  for  a  while  by  the  invasions  of  tribes  from  the 
north  and  east,  by  Asiatic  hordes  of  Mongolian  race,  among 
which  we  may  name  the  Huns ;  the  Latin  element  again  assumed 
the  ascendant  at  the  conmiencement  of  the  sixteenth  century ;  men 
and  manners,  language  and  art,  bore  witness  more  and  more  to 
Latin  influence  :  the  fair  hair  and  white  skin  of  the  Frank  alter- 
nating with  the  black  locks  and  brown  skin  of  the  Latin  people. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  French  lost  the  athletic  frame  and  vigorous 
limbs  of  the  Gaul,  gaining  in  their  stead  the  suppleness  and 
agility  of  southern  nations.  Thus  also  the  French  language  be- 
came gradually  formed,  modified  from  Latin  dialects. 

The  existence  of  a  single  written  language  renders  it  difficult 
to  mark  the  characteristic  distinctions  among  the  French  of  the 
present  day.  We  may  however,  distinguish  the  French  properly 
60  called,  who  inhabit  the  lower  district  of  the  Loire,  and  whose 
dialects  are  most  akin  to  the  written  language ;  the  Walloons, 
in  the  north,  whose  pronunciation  somewhat  approaches  that  of 
Teutonic  nations ;  and  the  Romanians,  in  the  south,  where  the 
dialects  become  confused  with  those  of  the  Spaniards  and 
Italians.  The  French  of  the  interior  are  those  who  most  re- 
semble the  Celts ;  those  of  the  south  possess  the  vivacity  of  the 
ancient  Iberians  or  Basques;  and  those  of  the  north  have 
suffered  still  more  from  Teutonic  influence,  the  effect  of  which 
is  more  especially  appreciable  in  Normandy. 

Owing  to  the  diversity  of  his  origin,  and  the  different  races  of 
men  which  have  been  moulded  into  his  type,  not  omitting  also  the 
effect  attributed  to  the  great  geological  variety  of  the  soil  of  France, 
where  samples  of  all  parts  of  the  earth  are  to  be  foimd,  the 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  73 

• 
Frenchman^  considered  organically,  possesses  no  peculiar  physio- 
gnomy, which  nevertheless  does  not  prevent  the  complete  identi- 
fication of  his  French  nationality. 

From  a  physical  point  of  view,  and  setting  aside  certain  ex- 
tremes, it  may  be  said  that  the  Frenchman  is  characterised,  not 
80  much  by  special  features,  as  by  the  mobility  and  expression  of 
these  features.  He  is  neither  large  nor  small,  yet  his  body  is  in  all 
respects  well  proportioned ;  and  although  he  may  not  be  capable 
of  developing  great  muscular  action,  he  is  fully  qualified  to  con- 
tend successfully  against  fatigue  and  long  journeys.  Agile  and 
nervous,  as  prompt  in  attack  as  in  parrying  a  blow,  full  of  ex- 
pedient, supple,  and  cheerful,  skilful  both  physically  and  morally, 
this  is  the  character  we  shall  easUy  recognise  in  our  typical 
soldier  of  the  next  page. 

Considered  intellectually,  the  Frenchman  is  distinguished  by  a 
readiness  and  activity  of  conception  which  is  truly  unsurpassed. 
His  comprehension  is  quick  and  sound.  A  halo  of  feeling  sur- 
rounds this  intellectual  activity.  Add  to  this  a  very  fair  amount 
of  reason,  solid  judgment,  and  a  veritable  passion  for  order  and 
method,  and  you  have  the  French  character. 

To  this  combination  of  various  qualities  must  be  referred 
the  respect  which  the  French  nation  entertain  for  science  and  art, 
the  admirable  order  which  is  found  in  their  museiuns,  and  the 
excellent  preservation  of  their  historical  monuments.  This  also 
goes  to  explain  their  excellent  organization  for  public  instruction, 
both  in  art  and  science,  the  forbearing  and  kindly  tone  of  their 
philosophy,  which  above  all  things  seeks  the  practical  rules  which 
govern  human  action,  their  excellent  judicial  system  and  admir- 
able civil  code,  which  has  been  copied  more  or  less  by  all  the 
nations  of  the  New  or  Old  Worlds. 

Although  the  Frenchman  respects  science,  loves  the  arts,  and 
takes  an  interest  in  the  productions  of  thought,  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  he  is  loth  to  take  any  personal  part  in  them.  He  is 
glad  to  make  use  of  the  practical  applications  of  science,  and  grate- 
fully acknowledges  the  service  they  render  him  ;  but  he  shims  the 
idea  of  studying  the  sciences  as  such,  and  the  very  name  of  savant 
conveys  to  his  mind  a  tiresome  person.  The  sciences,  which  at 
the  end  of  the  last  century  brought  so  much  honour  to  France, 
now  languish.  Scientific  careers  are  avoided,  and  in  the  country 
of  Lavoisier,  Laplace,  and  Cuvier,  science  is  visibly  on  the  decline. 


74  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

To  make  science  palatable  to  French  readers,  the  edge  of  the 
cup  must  be  coated  with  honey,  and  the  preceptor  must  clearly 
comprehend  what  dose  of  the  sweetened  beverage  he  may 
administer,  so  as  not  to  overtax  the  powers  or  present  humour  of 
his  patient. 

We  may  say  the  same  of  the  liberal  arts.  The  Frenchman  takes 
delight  in  artistic  works,  in  fine  monuments  and  buildings,  costly 
statuary,  magnificent  pictures,  engravings,  and  all  the  productions 
of  high  art ;  but  he  does  nothing  whatever  to  encourage  them. 
France  is  at  the  present  day  at  the  head  of  the  fine  arts,  and 
her  school  of  painting  is  without  a  rival ;  and  yet  her  artists, 
whether  they  be  painters  or  sculptors,  must  seek  elsewhere  an 
outlet  for  their  talents. 

In  France,  the  people  are  content  with  rendering  a  formal 
homage  to  the  merit  of  their  works  of  art,  and  leave  to  the 
government  the  task  of  encouraging  and  propagating  them. 

This  encouragement  consists  in  an  annual  exhibition  of  their 
paintings  and  sculptures,  entry  to  this  exhibition  being  obtained 
only  by  payment.  When  it  is  over,  the  various  works  are  re- 
turned to  their  authors,  and  medals  of  different  value  assist  the 
public  to  appreciate  the  excellence  of  their  productions. 

In  France,  then,  the  people  are,  properly  speaking,  neither 
studious  nor  artistic  :  they  merely  profess  great  esteem  for  the 
arts  and  sciences,  and  render  them  homage  without  the  least  wish 
to  know  more  of  them  or  an  attempt  to  further  their  cultiva- 
tion. 

A  very  excellent  quality  of  the  French  nation  is  its  sociability* 
Whilst  the  English  and  Germans  shut  themselves  up  in  their 
houses  with  misanthropical  concern,  the  Frenchman  prefers 
to  share  his  dwelling,  to  inhabit  a  sort  of  hive,  in  which  the  same 
roof  shelters  a  large  nimiber  of  individuals  of  all  ages  and  condi- 
tions. He  can  thus  perform  and  exchange  many  services,  and, 
while  living  his  own  form  of  existence,  enjoy  that  of  others.  See 
how,  in  French  villages,  the  houses  are  grouped  together  or 
placed  back  to  back,  or,  in  the  large  towns,  those  houses  where 
fifty  lodgers  hardly  separated  firom  one  another  by  a  scanty 
partition,  have  one  common  domestic,  the  porter,  and  you  will  at 
one  recognize  the  instinct  of  sociability,  and  external  affability, 
which  is  peculiar  to  the  French  nation.  The  readiness  which 
each  manifests  to  render  the  little  services  of  life,  to  aid  a 


17.— rRBKCHKAir. 


76  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

wounded  person,  or  assist  in  extricating  his  neighbour  from 
emban*assment^  are  all  signs  of  the  same  praiseworthy  spirit  of 
sociability. 

The  delicacy  of  feeling  and  thought,  the  extraordinary  taste  for 
order  and  method,  and  the  love  of  art,  which  characterize  the 
French  nation,  are  all  to  be  encountered  in  their  various  indus- 
trial products.  A  feeling  for  art  is  essentially  characteristic  of 
French  industry,  and  gives  it  that  well-known  good  taste, 
distinction,  and  elegance,  whicB  are  so  justly  appreciated. 

Although  he  is  neither  student  nor  artist,  the  Frenchman 
knows  therefore  perfectly  how  to  call  science  and  art  to  his  aid, 
demand  their  co-operation  and  inspiration,  and  transfer  them 
with  advantage  into  practice.  Thanks  to  his  instinct  for  order 
and  method,  he  succeeds  in  drawing  material  profit  from  studious 
or  sentimental  subjects. 

Having  considered  the  bright  side  of  the  French  nation,  we 
will  now  see  where  they  are  deficient. 

It  is  a  recognized  fact,  that,  among  the  French,  one-third  of 
the  men  and  more  than  half  the  women  can  neither  read  nor 
write :  this  is  equivalent  to  saying,  that  of  the  tliirty-eight  mil- 
lions of  individuals  composing  the  population  of  France,  fifteen 
millions  can  neither  read  nor  write. 

The  French  peasant  does  not  read,  and  for  a  very  good  reason. 
On  Sunday  he  has  read  to  him  extracts  firom  the  Almanack  of 
Pierre  Larrivay,  of  Matthieu  Laensberg,  or  some  other  prophet  of 
the  same  cloth,  who  foretells  what  is  about  to  happen  on  each  day 
of  the  year ;  and  this  is  as  much  as  he  wants.  La  Bruyere  drew 
of  the  French  peasant  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  a  forcible  and 
sinister  picture,  which  in  many  cases  is  true  even  at  the  present 
day  :  in  the  course  of  two  centuries,  the  subject  has  altered  but 
Uttle.* 

The  French  artisan  reads  very  little.  Works  of  popular 
science,  which  for  some  years  past  have  happily  been  edited  in 
France,  are  not  read,  as  is  imagined,  by  the  working  classes:  those 
who  seek  works  of  this  class  are  persons  who  have  already 
received  a  certain  amount  of  instruction,  which  they  desire  to 
increase  by  extending  it  to  other  branches  of  knowledge;  these,  for 

*  "  We  meet  with  certain  wild  ftnimalB,  male  and  female,  scattered  over  the  conntiy, 
black,  livid,  and  dried  np  by  the  snn,  attached  to  the  soil  which  they  tnm  and  nimmage 
alK)ut  witb  an  insuperable  obstinacy ;  they  seem  to  utter  articulate  sounds,  and  when 
they  get  upon  their  lej^,  show  a  human  face.     And  in  fact,  these,  it  seems,  are  men.'* 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  77 

the  greater  part,  include  school-children,  and  persons,  belonging 
to  the  different  liberal  professions,  or  engaged  in  commerce. 

The  bourgeois,  who  has  some  spare  time,  devotes  a  portion  of 
it  to  reading,  but  he  does  not  read  books.  In  France,  books  are 
objects  of  luxury,  used  only  by  persons  of  refinement.  The  crowd, 
when  they  ^ee  a  man  go  by  with  a  book  under  his  arm,  regard  him 
with  respectful  curiosity.  Enter  the  houses,  even  those  of  the 
most  wealthy,  and  you  will  meet  with  ever}i;hing  which  is 
necessary  for  the  comforts  of  life,  every  article  of  furniture  which 
may  be  called  for,  but  you  will  seldom  or  never  find  a  library. 
Whilst  in  Germany,  England,  and  Russia,  it  is  thought  indi- 
spensable, in  France  a  Hbrar}'^  is  almost  unknown. 

The  French  bourgeois  reads  only  the  papers.  Unfortunately, 
French  journals  have  always  been  devoted  to  politics.  Literature 
and  art,  science  and  philosophy,  nay,  even  commercial  and 
current  affairs,  that  is,  all  which  go  to  make  up  the  life  and 
interests  of  a  nation,  are  excluded  with  most  jealous  cai'e  from 
the  greater  part  of  the  French  journals,  to  make  way  for  political 
subjects.  Thus  it  is  that  politics,  the  most  superfluous  and 
barren  of  subjects,  have  become  among  the  French  the  great  and 
only  object  of  consideration. 

The  press  which  indulges  in  light  literature  is  much  worse* 
Its  articles  are  foimded  on  old  compilations.  The  bons-mots  of 
the  Marquis  of  Bievre  are  borrowed  from  Bievriwia,  and  laid 
at  the  door  of  M.  de  TiUancom*t;  then  Mile.  X.  des  Varietes 
is  made  the  heroine  of  an  anecdote  borrowed  from  the  Ency- 
clopediana,  and  the  trick  is  complete.  The  paper  is  sold  at  a 
sou,  and  is  not  worth  a  liard. 

The  papers  are  the  chief  means  by  wliich  the  French  bom'geois 
stuff  their  heads  with  emptiness. 

The  weakness  of  instruction  in  France  becomes  still  more 
apparent  by  comparison  with  that  of  other  nations.  Traverse  all 
Switzerland,  and  in  every  house  you  will  find  a  small  library.  In 
Fmssia  it  is  a  most  rare  matter  to  find  a  person  who  cannot  read; 
in  that  country  instruction  is  obligatory.  In  Austria  every  one 
can  read.  In  Norway  and  Denmark,  the  lowest  of  the  peasantry 
can  read  and  write  their  language  vnih  accuracy ;  while  in  the 
extreme  north,  in  Iceland,  that  country  given  up  to  the  rigours  of 
eternal  cold,  which  is,  as  it  were,  a  dead  spot  in  nature,  prints  are 
numerous* .  We  need  not  say  that  the  English  and  Americans 


78  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

are  far  in  advance  of  the  French  as  regards  instruction.  Nay, 
more,  all  the  Japanese  can  read  and  write,  as  also  all  the  inhabi- 
tants of  China  proper. 

Let  us  hope  that  this  sad  condition  of  things  will  change,  when, 
in  France,  gratuitous  and  obligatory  instruction  has  become  the 
law. 

Uninstructed  and  unambitious  of  learning,  timid  artisan  and 
plodding  husbandman  though  he  be,  the  Frenchman  has  yet 
one  ruling  virtue.  He  is  a  soldier ;  he  possesses  all  the  qualities 
necessary  for  war — ^bravery,  intelligence,  quickness  of  conception, 
the  sentiment  of  discipline,  and  even  patience  when  it  is  called 
for.  If  in  1870  a  combination  of  deplorable  fatalities  forced  the 
French  to  yield  to  the  dictates  of  a  people,  who  even  yet  wonder 
at  their  victory,  the  reputation  of  the  French  soldier  for  bravery 
and  intelligence  has  in  no  way  suffered  by  this  imforeseen  check. 
The  day  for  revenge  upon  the  barbarians  of  the  north  will  come 
sooner  or  later. 

■ 

Another  peculiarity  of  the  French  nation  is  their  spirit  of 
criticism  and  satire.  If,  in  the  days  of  Beaiunarchais,  everything 
in  France  closed  with  a  song,  nothing  at  the  present  day  is 
complete  without  a  joke. 

There  is  nothing  which  the  French  spirit  of  satire  has  not 
turned  to  ridicule.  In  the  art  of  the  pencil  it  has  created  la  charge, 
namely,  the  caricature  of  what  is  beautiful,  and  the  hideous 
exaggeration  of  every  physical  imperfection ;  on  the  stage  it  has 
introduced  la  cascade,  a  public  parody  bringing  before  the 
audience  in  an  absurd  manner,  history,  literatm^e,  and  men  of 
distinction ;  in  the  dance,  it  has  given  birth  to  the  obscene  and 
nameless  thing  which  is  composed  of  the  contortions  of  fools,  and 
which  with  strangers  i)asses  as  a  national  dance. 

The  French  woman  is  perfectly  gifted  in  what  concerns 
intelligence  ;  she  possesses  a  ready  conception,  a  lively  imagina- 
tion, and  a  cheerful  disposition.  Unfortimately,  the  burthen  of 
ignorance  presses  sorely  upon  her.  It  is  a  rare  thing  for  a  woman 
of  the  people  to  read,  as  only  those  of  the  higher  classes  have 
leisure,  during  their  girlhood,  to  cultivate  their  minds.  And  yet 
even  they  must  not  give  themselves  up  too  much  to  study,  nor 
aspire  to  honour  or  distinction.  The  epithet  bos  bleu  (blue  stocking) 
would  soon  bring  them  back  to  the  common  crowd — an  ignorant  and 
frivolous  feminine  mass.    Moliere's  lines  in  Les  Femmes  Savantes, 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  79 

which  for  two  centuries  have  operated  so  sadly  in  disseminating 
ignorance  throughout  one  half  of  French  society,  would  be  with 
one  voice  applied  to  them. 

With  this  ill-advised  tirade,  persons  who  think  themselves 
perfectly  right,  stifle  the  early  inclinations  of  young  girls  and 
women,  which  would  induce  them  to  open  their  minds  to  notions 
of  literature,  science,  and  art. 

A  question  was  once  put  forward  whether  we  should  permit 
our  young  women  to  share  the  education  which  the  University 
affords  to  young  men.  We  are  speaking  of  the  courses  which 
were  to  have  been  held  by  the  college  of  professors,  according  to 
the  plans  proposed  by  M.  Duruy.  But  this  attempt  at  the 
intellectual  emancipation  of  young  girls  was  very  soon  suppressed. 
Being  barely  tolerated  at  Paris,  these  courses  were  soon  inter- 
dicted in  the  departmental  towns,  and  woman  soon  returned  to 
the  knee  of  the  church,  or,  in  other  words,  was  brought  back 
to  ignorance  and  superstition. 

This  want  of  instmction  in  the  French  woman  is  the  more  to  be 
regretted,  since,  to  an  excellent  intellectual  disposition,  she  adds 
the  irresistible  gifts  of  grace  and  physical  charms.  There  is 
in  her  face  a  seduction  which  cannot  be  equalled,  although  we  can 
assign  her  physiognomy  to  no  determinate  type.  Her  features, 
frequently  irregular,  seem  to  be  borrowed  from  different  races ; 
they  do  not  possess  that  imity  which  springs  from  calm  and  ma- 
jesty, but  are  in  the  highest  degree  expressive,  and  marvellously 
contrived  for  convejdng  every  shade  of  feeling.  In  them  we  see 
a  smile,  though  it  be  shaded  by  tears ;  a  caress,  though  they 
threaten  us ;  and  an  appeal  when  yet  they  command.  Amid  the 
irregularity  of  this  physiognomy  the  soul  displays  its  workings. 

As  a  rule,  the  French  woman  is  short  of  stature,  but  in  ever}^ 
proportion  of  her  form  combines  grace  and  delicacy.  Her 
extremities  and  joints  are  fine  and  elegant,  of  perfect  model  and 
distinct  form,  without  a  suspicion  of  coarseness.  With  her, 
moreover,  art  is  brought  wonderfully  to  assist  nature. 

There  is  no  place  in  the  world  where  the  secret  of  dress  is  so 
well  imderstood  as  in  France,  or  where  means  are  so  admirably 
applied  to  the  rectification  of  natural  defects  of  form  or  colour. 
Add  to  this  a  continual  desire  to  charm  and  please,  an  anxious 
care  to  attract  and  attach  the  hearts  of  others  through  simplicity  or 
coquetry,  good  will  or  malice,  the  wish  to   radiate  everywhere 


80  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

pleasure  and  life,  the  noble  craving  to  awake  grand  or  touching 
thoughts,  and  you  will  understand  the  universal  and  charming  rule 
which  woman  has  always  held  in  France,  and  a  great  portion  of 
the  influence  which  she  perforce  retains  over  men  and  things. 

All  these  qualities,  which  distinguish  the  women  of  the  higher 
classes  in  France,  are  met  with  also  among  those  of  the  working 
classes.  Their  industrious  hands  excel  in  needlework.  They 
make  their  own  clothing,  and  that  of  their  children  ;  look  to  the 
household  linen,  make  their  own  bonnets,  and  most  effectually 
cause  elegance  and  taste  to  thrive  in  the  heart  of  poverty.  The 
correctness  of  their  judgment,  their  tact  and  delicacy,  and  their 
rare  penetration,  are  of  valuable  assistance  in  commercial  matters, 
where  their  just  appreciation  affords  most  useful  aid  to  their  hus- 
bands and  children.  In  retail  trade  especially,  do  these  qualities 
shine  forth — order,  sagacity,  and  patience.  Their  politeness  and 
presence  of  mind  charm  the  purchaser,  who  always  finds  what  he 
{grants,  and  is  always  in  good  hiunour  with  himself  and  the  articles 
he  obtains. 

The  French  women  excel  in  household  duties  and  in  bringing 
up  their  children.  These  graceful  and  sweet  young  girls  become 
mothers  whose  patience  is  inexhaustible,  and  make  of  their  home 
the  most  perfect  resting-place,  and  the  best  ^refuge  from  the 
sufferings  and  hardships  of  life. 

Hispanians. — ^Under  this  name  we  include  the  Spaniards  and 
Portuguese. 

The  HiSpanians  result  from  the  mixture  of  the  Latins,  with 
the  Celts,  whom  they  succeeded  in  Spain,  and  with  the  Teutons, 
who  drove  out  the  Romans. 

Washed  on  three  sides  by  the  sea,  divided  from  France  on  the 
north  by  the  P}Tenees,  and  from  Africa  on  the  south  by  a  narrow 
stretch  of  sea,  Spain  is  crossed  by  ranges  of  mountains,  which,  b}- 
their  various  intersections,  form  valleys  permitting  only  of  difficult 
communication  with  each  other.  The  mountains  of  Spain  are 
one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  richness  of  this  country.  They 
contain  a  variety  of  precious  metals,  and  the  streamlets  which 
flow  from  their  summits  fertilize  the  valleys  and  develop  into 
large  rivers. 

The  climate  of  Spain  indicates  the  vicinity  of  Africa.  The  air 
during  winter,  is  cold,  dry,  and  sharp  :  during  the  summer  it  is 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH. 


18.— CATTLE-DBAUtK  OF  COBDOV^ 


scorching.    The  leaves  of  the  treea  are  stiff  and  shining,  the 
branches  knotty  and  contorted,  the  bark  dry  and  nigged.     The 


82  THE    WHITE   RACE. 

fruits  mingle  with  their  perfume  a  sharp  and  acid  flavour :  the 
animals  are  lean  and  wild. 

Nature  therefore  in  Spain  is  somewhat  violent  and  rude,  and 
this  characteristic  is  peculiar  to  the  people  of  the  country. 

The  Spaniard,  like  the  African,  is  in  general  of  moderate 
height.  His  skin  is  brown,  and  his  limbs  are  muscular,  com- 
pact, and  supple.  In  a  moral  sense,  passion  with  him  obtains 
the  mastery ;  indeed  it  is  quite  impossible  for  him  to  master  or 
dissemble  his  feelings.  He  is  not  afraid  to  allow  their  work- 
ings to  become  evident,  but,  in  their  display,  if  they  meet  with 
curiosity  or  admiration,  he  passes  all  bounds  and  becomes  a  per- 
fect spectacle.  A  Spaniard  always  allows  his  feelings  to  be 
plainly  perceptible. 

This  habitual  weakness  for  scenic  display  which  in  a  people 
possessing  evil  instincts  would  be  excessively  inconvenient,  pro- 
duces in  the  Spaniard  the  best  results,  since  at  heart  he  is  full 
of  generosity  and  nobleness.  It  endows  him  with  pride,  from 
which  spring  exalted  feelings  and  good  actions ;  emulation,  which 
prompts  him  to  outdo  himself;  a  moral  tone,  generosity,  dignity, 
and  discretion.  Nowhere  are  better  understood  than  in  Spain  the 
regard  due  to  age  or  sex,  and  the  respect  called  for  by  rank  or 
position. 

The  love  of  distinction,  place,  and  grade  is  an  inevitable  conse- 
quence of  this  state  of  feeling. 

The  pride  of  the  Spaniard  renders  him  veiy  tenacious  as 
regards  his  honour.  He  brooks  not  insult,  and  seeks  to  requite  it 
with  bloodshed.  His  hand  flies  to  the  sword  which  is  to  avenge 
his  honour,  or  the  knife  which  is  to  settle  his  disputes  (fig.  19). 

In  Spain  arms  are  carried  by  all,  and  their  habitual  contact — 
too  much  neglected  in  other  countries — ^imparts  to  each  the  desire 
for  glory  or  the  hope  of  playing  a  leading  part  in  the  world. 

Such  being  his  disposition,  the  Spaniard  cannot  fail  to  make  an 
excellent  soldier.  Besides  having  taste  and  aptitude  for  the  use 
of  arms,  he  is  vigorous,  agile,  and  patient ;  and  therefore  worthy 
to  be  named  honorably  in  comparison  with  the  French  soldier* 
It  is,  however,  difficult  to  presence  discipline  among  these  fiery  and 
independent  men.  They  are  not  always  easy  to  command  in  time 
of  regular  warfare,  and  when  times  become  troublesome,  they  be- 
come rapidly  converted  into  gueriUas,  a  term  which  is  almost 
synonymous  with  brigand. 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH. 


19,— S4TIVK3 


The  use  of  arms  being  familiar  to  every  SpaDiard,  there  is  i 
great  temptatioQ  to  nae  them,  and  passion  frequently  creates  ai 


THE   WHITE   RACE. 


opportanity.     Therefore  it  13  that  Spain  is  essentially  a  land  < 
civil  war. 


20.— STAKua  rzuun. 


On  tlie  most  simple  question  arising,  the  peasant  seizes  his  gun 
and  rashes  to  an  ambuscade,  or  joins  a  band  of  insurgents. 


EtTBOPEAM   BRAJJCH. 


Political  iusnrrections  are  an  amusement  to  tliis  impressionable 
and  hasty  people.     In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  bands  of  armed 


men  OTemin  the  conntry.     The  great  want  of  discipline  among 
^ibe  soldiers  and  non-commissioned  officers,  conduces  to  desertion 


86  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

to  these  irregular  "bodies,  and  the  result  is  that  unhappy  Spain 
is  continually  in  a  state  of  local  insun*ection,  the  suppression  of 
wliich  invariably  leads  to  bloodshed  without  producing  any  per- 
manent settlement. 

The  passion  which  a  Spaniard  evinces  in  all  he  does,  is  not 
wanting  in  his  religion.  His  piety  is  exalted,  and  the  violence  to 
which  this  piety  frequently  leads  him,  has  had  mournful  results. 
It  is  this  religious  fury  which  accounts  for  the  cruelty  of  the 
Spaniards  to  the  Saracens  and  Jews ;  and  which,  later  on,  lit  the 
faggots  of  the  Inquisition,  and  produced  the  most  savage  intole- 
rance. Spain  has  burnt,  in  the  name  of  a  God  of  peace  and  love, 
thousands  of  innocent  creatures ;  and  for  the  honour  and  good  of 
the  Catholic  faith,  has  proscribed,  strangled,  and  tortured. 

This  passionate  exaggeration  of  Catholicism  has  proved  the 
ruin  of  Spain  in  modern  times.  It  is  marvellous  to  see  how  this 
nation,  so  powerful  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  wliich,  under 
Charles  V.,  dictated  laws  to  all  Europe,  has  fallen ;  im^il  at  the 
present  day,  it  ranks  among  the  states  of  the  lowest  class  in  this 
part  of  the  world.  But  it  will  be  seen  that  the  multiplication  of 
convents,  both  for  men  and  women,  has  had  the  effect  of  rapidly 
depopulating  the  countr}';  that  the  proscription  of  the  Moors,  the 
Jews,  and  lastly,  of  the  Protestants,  has  proved  destructive  of 
productive  industry ;  that  the  courts  of  the  Inquisition,  and  the 
auto-da-fe,  have  led  to  a  feeling  of  sadness  and  mistrust  among  the 
people ;  that  the  abuse  of  religion  and  its  symbols,  has  produced 
a  bigotry  which  can  be  likened  only  to  idolatry;  and  that  the  fear 
of  offending  an  intolerant  and  self-asserting  religion,  has  arrested 
nil  moral  progress,  and  effectually  set  aside  all  development  of 
science,  which  of  necessity  presupposes  free  investigation. 

This  is  how  progress,  activity,  and  thought,  have  met  with  their 
end,  and  how  material  prosperity  has  become  extinguished  in  that 
portion  of  Europe,  most  marvellously  endowed  with  natural  gifts. 
Thus  it  is  that  commerce  has  become  a  bye-word  in  a  land,  whose 
geographical  position  is  unrivalled,  and  wliich  possessed  in  the 
New  World  the  most  flourishing  and  powerful  colonies ;  and  that 
literature  and  science,  the  two  great  words  which  indicate  liberty 
and  progress,  have  fallen  away  in  the  home  of  Michael  Cervantes. 

How  is  Spain  to  recover  her  former  splendour  ?  What  reme- 
dies must  be  applied  to  these  crying  evils  ?  We  reply,  religious 
toleration,  and  political  liberty. 


EUROPEAN  BRANCH.  87 

The  type  of  the  Spanish  woman  is  so  well,  known,  that  we  need 
hardly  recall  it.  She  is  generally  brunette,  although  the  blond 
type  occurs  much  more  frequently  than  is  usually  supposed.  The 
Spanish  woman  is  almost  always  small  of  stature.  Who  has  not  ob- 
served her  large  eyes,  veiled  by  thick  lashes,  her  delicate  nose, 
and  well-formed  nostrils.  Her  form  is  always  imdulating  and 
graceful ;  her  limbs  are  round  and  beautifully  moulded,  and 
her  extremities  of  incomparable  delicacy.  She  is  a  charming 
mixture  of  vigour,  languor,  and  grace. 

Love  is  the  great  object  of  the  Spanish  woman.  She  loves  with 
passion  but  with  constancy,  and  the  jealousy  she  feels  is  but  the 
legitimate  compensation  for  the  attachment  she  bestows. 

The  Spanish  woman,  faithful  as  a  wife,  is  an  excellent  mother. 
Few  women  can  equal  her  as  a  nurse,  or  in  the  attention  and 
patience  which  are  called  for  by  the  care  of  children.  The  mother 
lavishes  upon  her  young  family  her  whole  life,  and  if  she  fails  to 
instruct  them,  it  is,  alas  !  that  she  lacks  the  power  to  do  so  ;  for 
she  is  no  better  educated  than  the  French  woman,  and,  as  re- 
gards ignorance,  is  a  meet  companion  for  her  in  every  respect. 

We  have  said  that,  in  France,  women  exercise  a  very  manifest 
influence  upon  the  course  of  events.  The  Spanish  woman  is  not, 
however,  in  possession  of  this  useful  influence.  She  commands  the 
attention  of  those  around  her  only  during  the  short  period  of  her 
beauty.  When,  arrived  at  maturity,  her  judgment  formed  by  ex- 
perience, and  her  views  enlarged  by  observation  or  practice,  she 
might  soothe  the  passion  of  her  friends,  assist  them  with  her 
counsel,  or  unite  them  aroimd  her  hearth,  the  Spanish  woman 
retires  into  obscurity,  and  the  knowledge  she  has  gained  is  lost 
to  society. 

Having  thus  given  a  general  view  of  Spanish  manners,  we  will 
say  something  with  respect  to  the  most  characteristic  physio- 
gnomies of  this  country. 

The  Moorish  type  is  met  with  in  a  marked  degree  in  the 
province  of  Valencia.  The  peasants  have  swarthy  complexions. 
Their  head-dress  consists  of  a  handkerchief  in  bright  colours, 
rolled  around  the  head  and  rising  to  a  point :  strongly  reminding 
the  observer  of  the  turban  worn  by  Eastern  nations.  They 
sometimes  wear,  in  addition  to  this,  a  hat  formed  of  felt  and 
black  velvet,  with  the  edges  turned  up.  On  fete-days  they  don  a 
vr(dBt<:oat  of  green  or  blue  velvet,  with  numerous  buttons  formed  of 


8a  THE   WHITE   BA.CE. 

silver  or  plated  copper.    In  lien  of  trowsers,  they  wear  full 
drawers  of  white  cloth,  which  reach  as  far  as  the  knees,  and  are 


22:— BPAHISB  LASI  A 


kept  up  by  a  broad  helt  of  silk  or  brightly  striped  wool.  The 
hoae  consist  of  guters,  kept  in  place  by  means  of  a  broad  blae 
riband  woood  round  the  leg.     A.  long  piece  of  woollen  material. 


EUBOPEAN    BRANCH. 


striped  with  bri^t  colours,  is  thrown  over  the  shoulders  or  wound 
round  the  body :  this  is  the  cloak. 


The  peasants  are  to  be  seen  to  best  advantage  in  the  market- 
place, whither  they  bring  their  oranges,  grapes,  and  dates. 

The  women  of  Valencia  are  sometimes  of  remarkable  beauty. 


90  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

Their  black  hair  is  rolled  into  bunches  above  the  temples,  and 
carried  to  the  back  of  the  head,  where  it  forms  an  enormous 
chignon,  through  which  passes  a  long  needle  of  silver-gilt. 

In  some  of  the  preceding  cuts  we  have  given  the  costumes 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Valencia,  Xeres,  Cordova,  Toledo,  and 
Madrid,  as  also  types  of  Spanish  physiognomy. 

In  Spain,  dancing  is  a  national  feature.  The  dance  scarcely 
varies  in  different  provinces,  but  generally  reflects  the  character 
of  the  people,  who  accompany  it  with  songs  and  national  melodies. 
They  can  hardly  have  enough  of  singing  and  dancing  the  Fandango 
(fig.  23),  and  the  Bolero  (fig.  24). 

Portugal  abuts  on  Spain,  and  its  people  merit  some  portion  of 
our  consideration. 

The  Portuguese  women  are  frequently  pretty,  and  sometimes 
actually  beautiful.  They  have  abundant  hair,  their  eyes  are 
earnest,  soft,  and  penetrating,  and  their  teeth  excellent.  Their 
feet  are  rather  large,  but  their  hands  are  very  delicate.  Their 
forms  are  well  set,  and  strongly,  though  somewhat  sturdily  built ; 
their  joints  are  small,  their  complexion  sallow,  their  movements 
are  confident.  Their  well  shaped  heads  are  well  placed,  and  the 
modest  ease  with  which  they  wear  the  short  jupon  and  broad  felt 
hat,  imparts  to  these  articles  of  dress  a  certain  elegance. 

The  inhabitants  of  Ponte  de  Lima  are  of  small  stature,  and 
possess  fine  vigorous  forms.  The  country  people  are  worthy  of 
special  notice,  they  make  brave  and  steady  soldiers,  who  are 
easily  amenable  to  discipline,  and  robust  and  intelligent  work- 
men. 

There  is  nothing  very  noteworthy  about  the  dress  of  the 
peasantry,  except  as  regards  that  of  the  women.  The  petticoat  is 
plaited,  short,  and  sometimes  rolled  up,  so  as  to  expose  to  view 
their  legs,  which  are  usually  bare.  The  bodice,  which  is  famished 
with  two  or  three  silver  buttons,  displays  the  form.  Being 
separated  from  the  petticoat,  it  permits  the  chemise  to  puff  out 
aroimd  tlie  body,  while  the  sleeves  of  that  garment  are  wide  and 
usually  worn  turned  up.  The  head-dress  consists  of  a  large  black 
felt  hat,  frequently  adorned  with  bows  of  ribbon,  and  almost  always 
furnished  with  a  white  kerchief,  the  folds  of  which  fall  dojm  over 
the  neck  and  shoulders.  Long  earrings,  and  even  necklaces  and 
chains  of  gold,  complete  the  picturesque  costume  in  which  yellow, 
red,  and  bright  green,  predominate. 


25.— TisH-vBin>OBa  i 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  93 

The  streets  of  Oporto  are  much  enlivened  by  the  appearance  of 
the  peasants  in  their  various  brilliant  dresses,  who  there  vend 
oranges,  vegetables,  cheese,  or  flowers. 

Fig.  25  represents  the  costume  of  fishmongers  at  Oporto. 

Italians,  No  part  of  Europe  can  be  compared  with  Italy,  for 
softness  of  climate,  clearness  of  the  sky,  fertility  of  the  soil,  and 
pnreness  of  the  atmosphere.  The  soil,  wliich  is  very  undulating, 
is  watered  by  numerous  streams,  and  permits  largely  of  cultivation ; 
while  the  mountains  conceal  precious  metals,  and  beautiful 
marbles.     No  country  is  better  protected  by  nature. 

On  the  north  arises  a  broad  barrier  of  stupendous  mountains, 
while  the  remaining  sides  are  protected  by  the  sea.  Along  the 
coast  are  vast  ports,  with  good  harbours  ;  and  lastly,  this  portion 
of  Europe  alone  has  the  advantage  of  offering  ready  access  to 
both  Asia  and  Africa. 

The  fertility  of  the  soil,  the  mild  temperatm^e,  and  the  large 
variety  of  natural  productions  which  furnish  good  food,  all  indi- 
cate that  Italy  should  possess  a  fine,  vigorous,  and  intelligent 
population.     And,  indeed,  the  Italians  possess  these  qualities. 

We  shall  first  examine  rather  more  closely,  the  origin  of  this 
people,  and  the  differences  they  present  in  various  parts  of  the 
peninsula. 

The  Latin  family  which  gave  its  name  to  the  human  group  with 
which  we  are  now  concerned,  had  Italy  for  its  home.  In  Italy, 
therefore,  we  should  expect  to  meet  with  it.  But  we  should  be 
deceived  were  we  to  expect  to  find  the  pure  Latin  type  among 
the  modem  Italians.  The  barbarian  invasions  in  the  north, 
and  the  contact  with  Greeks  and  Africans  in  the  south,  have 
wronght  much  alteration  in  the  primitive  type  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Italy.  Except  in  Home,  and  the  Boman  Campagna,  the  true 
type  of  the  primitive  Latin  population  is  hardly  to  be  found. 
Tlie  Grecian  type  exists  in  the  south,  and  upon  the  Eastern  slope 
of  the  Apennines,  while  in  the  north,  the  great  majority  of  faces 
are  Gallic.  In  Tuscany  and  the  neighbouring  regions  are  found 
ilie  descendants  of  the  ancient  Etruscans. 

'What  most  interests  us  is  the  primitive  Latin  population. 
This  is  met  with,  as  we  have  said,  in  and  around  Borne,  and 
in  order  to  fiind  it  we  must  go  there. 

The  features  of  the  early  Latin  people  can  be  imagined  without 


M  THE    WHITE    RACE, 

difficulty,  by  reference  to  busts  of  the  Erst  Roman  emperors. 
We  may  thence  Brrive  at  the  foUowing  characteristic  features, 
as  probably  those  of  the  ancient  Italian  races.  The  bead  is  large, 
the  forehead  of  no  great  height,  the  vertex  (summit  of  tlie  cranium) 


flattened,  the  temporal  region  protruding,  and  the  face  propor- 
tionally short.  The  nose,  which  is  divided  from  the  forehead 
by  a  marked  depression,  is  aquiline  ;  the  lower  jaw  is  broad,  and 
the  chin  prominent. 

The  modem  population  of  Rome,  without  absolutely  reproducing 


06  THE    WHITE   EACE. 

these  features,  still  retain  their  beantifully  pore  characteristic 
lines. 

In  fig.  27,  which  represents  a  gronp  of  peasant  men  and  women 
of  Borne,  we  easily  recognize  these  celebrated  types  of  coante- 


nance,  so  fiuniliar  to  every  artist.  The  distinguishing  marks  will 
be  easily  seen  in  the  Boman  peasants,  who,  quitting  their  native 
country,  seek  their  livelihood  in  France  as  models. 

As  one  of  these  typea  taken  from  nature,  we  would  call  the 
reader's  attention  to  fig.  28,  which  represents  a  young  Boman 


EUROPEAN    BRAJ^CH.  97 

girl  from  the  quarter  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber  called  Transtevera, 
and  also  to  fig.  29,  which  is  a  faithful  portrait  of  peasants  from 
around  Rome. 

It  would  be  a  fruitless  task,  were  we,  in  studying  the  modem 
Bomans,  to  seek  among  them  traces,  more  or  less  eradicated,  of 
the  old  Roman  blood. 

In  a  population  which  has  been  so  degraded,  oppressed,  and 
polluted  as  this,  by  ages  of  slavery  and  obscmnty,  we  should 
find  nought  but  disturbance  and  chaos.  We  can  make  no  refer- 
ence to  family  Hfe  in  this  land  of  convents  and  celibacy,  nor  speak 
of  intellectual  faculties  in  a  country  where  we  see  a  jealous 
t}'ranny  narrowing  the  minds  of  the  inhabitants,  and  an  authority 
that  is  seated  in  the  blackest  darkness,  moulding  body  and  mind 
in  ignorance  of  morality  and  education.  We  should  need  the 
greatest  power  of  penetration  to  find,  in  the  eflfeminate  and  dege- 
nerate population  of  Modem  Rome,  the  genius  of  the  ancient 
conquerors  of  the  world. 

There  are,  however,  reasons  for  hoping,  that  Rome,  being  now 
released  from  Papal  authority,  and  having,  since  the  year  1871, 
become  the  Capital  of  Italy  and  the  resideuce  of  King  Victor- 
Emmanuel,  will  gradually  cease  to  feel  the  preponderance  of  the 
sacerdotal  element. 

Young  Romans  playing  the  favorite  Italian  game,  la  mora, 
with  its  usual  accompaniment  of  gesticulations  and  shouts,  is 
a  very  common  street  scene.  The  two  persons  pla}ing  this 
game  raise  their  closed  fists  in  the  air,  and  then,  in  letting 
them  fall,  open  as  many  fingers  as  they  may  think  proper.  At 
the  same  time  they  call  out  some  number.  The  winner  is  he, 
who,  by  chance,  calls  out  the  number  represented  by  the  sum 
of  all  the  fingers  exhibited  by  the  two  players.  If,  for  ex- 
ample, I  caU  out  ^re,  and  at  the  same  time  open  two  fingers, 
whilst  my  adversary  displays  three,  which  added  to  mine  make 
Jive,  the  number  called  by  me,  I  am  winner.  The  arms  of  the 
two  players  are  raised  and  lowered  at  the  same  time,  and  the 
numbers  are  called  simultaneously,  with  great  rapidity  and  regu- 
larity, producing  a  very  singular  result  and  one  incomprehensible 
to  a  stranger. 

La  mora  is  played  all  over  Italy. 

But  it  is  not  alone  in  the  city  of  Rome  that  the  characteristic 
features  of  the  ancient  Latin  race  are  to  be  found ;  the  traveller 


THE   WHITE    RACE. 


passing  through  the  suburbs  of  the  capital  of  the  Christian  'World, 
Frascati  or  Tivoli,  will  still  encounter  vestiges  of  the  old  Latins 
hidden  beneath  the  sad  garments  of  misery.  (Fig  29.) 


It  may  be  said  that  Rome  at  the  present  day  is  a  vast  convent. 
In  it  the  ecclesiastical  population  holds  an  important  position  and 
Iplays  an  important  part.    This,  it  is,  which  imparts  to  the  Eternal 


100  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

City  its  austerity,  not  to  say,  its  public  sadness  and  moral  languor. 
We  shall  therefore  close  our  series  of  picturesque  views  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Modem  Borne,  by  glancing  at  the  costumes  of  the 
principal  dignitaries  of  the  ecclesiastical  order,  their  representation 
in  fig.  80  being  followed  by  the  reproduction  of  a  well-known 
picture,  representing  the  Exaltation  ofPio  IX.  (fig.  81). 

The  Latin  type,  which  physically  if  not  morally  is  ihet  with  in  a 
state  of  purity  at  Borne,  and  in  the  Boman  Campagna,  has,  on  the 
other  hand,  undergone  great  modification  in  the  provinces  of  the 
North,  as  well  as  in  those  of  Southern  Italy.  Let  us  first  con-^ 
aider  the  Northern  provinces. 

Northern  Italy,  endowed  to  perfection  with  natural  advantages, 
washed  by  two  seas,  watered  by  the  tributaries  of  a  large  river, 
possessing  land  of  extraordinary  fertility,  nourishes  a  race  in 
which  the  Latin  blood  has  mingled  with  that  of  the  German  and 
Gaul.  In  Tuscany  and  the  neighbom*hood  are,  as  we  have  said, 
the  descendants  of  the  old  Etruscans,  and  further  north  are  the 
offspring  of  Germanic  and  GalUc  races. 

The  designs  which  adorn  the  tEtruscansai-cophagi,  originally 
brought,  it  ifr  said,  from  Northern  Greece,  have  preserved  the 
physical  form  and  aj^eanmce  of  these  people.  They  are  bull^^ 
and  of  heavy  make. 

The  men  wear  no  beai*d,  and  are  clothed  with  a  timic  which  in 
some  cases  is  thrown  over  the  back  of  the  head.  Some  hold  in 
the  left  hand  a  small  goblet,  and  in  the  right,  a  bowl.  They 
repose  in  an  easy  postm-e,  resting  the  body  on  the  left  side,  as  do 
also  the  women.  The  women  wear  a  tunic,  sometimes  fastened 
below  the  breast  by  a  broad  girdle,  which  is  furnished  with  a 
circular  clasp,  and  a  peplum  which  in  many  cases  covers  the  back 
of  the  head.  They  hold  in  one  hand  an  apple,  or  some  fruit  of 
the  same  appeazance,  and  in  the  other  a  fxa.  This  is  the  portrait 
of  the  Etruscan  which  has  been  handed  down  to  us. 

Tuscany,  of  all  Italy,  is  that  portion  which  most  strongly 
represents  the  mildness,  the  order,  and  the  industrious  activity 
of  modem  Italy.  The  natural  richness  of  the  soil  is  there  en* 
hanced  by  a  capable  system  of  cultivation.  The  arts  peacefully 
flourish  in  this  land  of  great  painters,  sculptors,  and  architects. 
The  habits  of  the  people,  both  of  the  upper  and  lower  classes,  are 
gentle  and  peaceful.  There  is  here  a  state  of  general  prosperity 
added  to  a  fair  amount  of  education.    The  poor  man  here,  does 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  101 

not,  KS  in  other  countries,  foster  a  complfuning  and  hostile  feeling 
against    the    rich ;    all    entertain  a  consciousness  of  their  own 


dignity ;  all  are  affable  and  polite.     The  general  good  feeling  is 
manifeated  in  yiotA  and  deed,  und  tlie  religious  t»;e  is  moderate 


102  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

and  tolerant.     Women  are  loved  and  respected,  and  this  respect 
corresponds  in  religion  with  the  worship  of  the  Virgin. 

At  Florence  and  in  Tuscany  we  meet  that  Italian  urbanity, 
which,  by  the  French,  who  are  unable  to  understand  it,  is  impro- 
perly termed  obsequiousness.  This  attribute  of  the  Italian  is 
verj"^  far  from  servile;  it  comes  from  the  heart.  A  universal  kindly 
feeling  welcomes  the  stranger,  who  experiences  much  pleasure 
among  this  conciliatory  and  friendly  people,  and  with  difficulty 
teai*s  himself  away  from  this  happy  country,  where  all  seem 
bathed  in  an  atmosphere  of  art,  sentiment,  and  goodness* 

Southern  Italy  will  show  us  a  very  dilBFerent  picture  from 
that  we  have  just  described.  The  proximity  to  Africa  has  here 
much  altered  the  physical  type  of  the  inhabitants,  while  the  yoke 
of  a  loiig  despotism  has  much  lowered  the  social  condition,  through 
the  miser}^  and  ignorance  it  has  produced.  The  mixture  of 
African  blood  has  changed  the  organic  t^-pe  of  the  Southern 
ItaUan  to  such  an  extent,  as  to  render  him  entirely  distinct  from 
his  nortlieni  compatriots;  the  excitmg  influence,  which  the 
mate  has  over  the  senses,  imparting  to  his  whole  conduct  a 
peculiar  exuberance.  Hence  there  is  much  frivolity  and  little 
consistency  in  his  character. 

In  the  town  and  neighbourhood  of  Naples  we  meet  a  combina- 
tion of  the  features  we  have  just  considered.  Let  us  betake 
ourselves  for  a  moment  thither,  and  take  a  rapid  view  of  the 
strange  population,  which  from  early  dawn  is  to  be  met  in  the 
streets,  singing,  begging,  or  going  about  their  day's  work. 

Fig.  82  shows  us  a  shoi)  of  dealers  in  macaroni  in  the  market- 
place {inercatello)y  and  fig.  83  the  indispensable  water-carrier. 

The  most  favourable  time  for  examining  the  great  variety  of 
types  which  imite  in  the  population  of  Southern  Italy,  is  on  the 
occasion  of  the  public  festivals  wliich  are  so  numerous  at  Naples* 
This  curious  mixture  may  be  investigated  in  the  crowds  of  people 
who  frequent  the  festival  of  Piedigrotta,  where  are  to  be  found 
examples  of  every  Greek  and  Latin  race. 

Here  are  to  be  seen  the  Procidan  women  (isle  of  Procida,  near 
Naples),  who  still  retain  the  ancient  simai',  the  kerchief  which  falls 
loosely  around  the  head,  and  the  classic  profiles  with  straight  noses 
(fig.  84).  In  Southern  Italy,  these  daughters  of  ancient  Greece 
still  wear  the  golden  diadem  and  silver  gii-dle  of  Homer's  matrons. 
The  Cajman  woman  throws  around  her  head  a  veil  similar  to  that 


THE   WHITE    RACE, 


of  the  Bibyls  and  vestals.  The  Abruzzan  women  wear  their  hair  in 
knots  in  tixe  manner  shown  in  Greek  statnes.  The  men  of  these 
parts,  moreover,  clothe  themselves  in  sheepskins  during  the 
winter,  and  wear  sandals,  fastened  with  leatliern  thongs.  The 
Etruscans,  the  Greeks,  the  Romans,  and  even  the  Normans,  have 


FBASANT  WOUAH. 


left  their  traces  in  this  counti^',  whose  population  forms  such  a 
carious  mixture. 

Not  less  remarkable  are,  in  this  beautiful  country,  the  peasantry 
of  the  mountains  and  the  sea-coast.  The  most  varying  forms 
and  the  richest  colours  are  to  be  met  with,  from  the  coarse 
cloth  drawers  and  sliirt  of  the  fisherman,  to  the  brilliant  cos- 
tume of  certain  of  the  Abruzzi,  from  the  Phrygian  cap  of  the 
Neapolitans  to  tlie   peaked   hat  of  the   Calabrians — a  slender. 


EUROPEAN    BBANCa 


tall,     and     amibiimt 
people. 

In  the  midst  of  this 
motley  assemblage  of 
every  variety  of  dress 
and  colour,  the  grace- 
ful acquajolo  (fig.  86), 
that  is,  the  stall  of 
the  dealer  in  oranges 
and  iced  water,  forms 
a  most  picturesque 
object. 

Walachianx, — From 
the  consideration  of 
the  types  of  mankind 
in  Italy,  we  naturally 
pass  to  those  of  their 
neighbours,  the  in- 
habitants of  Walachia 
and  Moldavia. 

Under  the  title, 
Wala£hiajta  or  Moldo- 
WiUachians,  are  com- 
prehended the  people 
of  Walachia,  Mol- 
davia, and  some  of 
the  neighbouring  pro- 
vinces. 

The  Walacliians 
proceed  from  the  fu- 
sion of  the  Boman 
colonies,  established 
by  Trajan,  and  of 
some  Greek  settle- 
■  ments,  with  the  an- 
cient Slavonic  inha- 
bitants of  these  conn- 
tries.  The  langoage 
ol  this  people  corre- 


THE  WHITE   EACE. 


sponds  with  their  triple  origin,  for  it  possesses  the  characteristics 
of  Latin,  Greek,  and  Slavonic. 


ACqUAJOLO,    AT    KAfLBS. 


Wahichia    and    Moldavia    form    the     ancient    Dacxa,       The 
Walachians,  originally  subject  to  the  kingdom  of  Bulgaria  and 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  107 

to  that  of  Hungary,  formed,  in  1290,  an  independent  state,  the 
first  prince  of  which  was  called  Rodolph  the  Black,  About  1350 
one  of  their  colonies  occupied  Moldavia  under  the  leadership  of 
a  prince  named  Dragosch.  But  the  Walachian  state  was  never 
very  firmly  constituted,  and  in  1525  the  battle  of  Mohacz  reduced 
it  finally  under  Turkish  rule.  The  Turks  did  not  disturb  the 
internal  government  of  the  Walachians,  but  obliged  their  prince 
(hogpodar)  to  pay  an  annual  tribute  to  the  Porte,  and  to  maintain 
Turkish  garrisons  in  all  their  strongholds.  But  Walachia,  being 
situated  between  the  Ottoman  empu'e  on  one  side,  and  Hungary, 
Poland,  and  Russia,  on  the  other,  became  the  scene  of  most  of  the 
struggles  between  its  formidable  neighbours.  It  was  tramj^led 
over  by  both  Christian  and  Mussulman,  and  this  temble  situation 
resulted  in  ruin  and  exile  to  its  unfortunate  inhabitants.  The 
hospodars  who  occupied  the  thrones  of  Walachia  and  Moldavia 
were  appointed  by  the  court  of  Constantinople,  who  sold  this 
dignity  to  the  highest  bidder.  The  hospodai's  were  then  only  a 
species  of  pacha  ;  their  court  was  formed  after  the  pattern  of  those 
of  the  Byzantine  emperors,  but  they  did  not  j)ossess  the  military 
power  of  the  Turkish  pachas. 

This  situation  has  changed  since  1849,  when  a  treaty  was  con- 
cluded between  tlie  Porte  and  Russia.  By  the  terms  of  this 
treaty,  the  dignity  of  hospodar  was  maintained  during  the  life- 
time of  its  possessor.  New  events  have  happened,  and,  since 
the  year  1860,  the  political  protection  of  the  Danubian  Prin- 
cipalities is  shared  between  Russia,  the  Porte,  Prussia,  and 
Austria*  The  Pi'ince  of  HohenzoUern,  who  now  occupies  the 
throne  of  Moldo- Walachia,  is  of  Prussian  birth. 

The  two  principalities  of  Moldavia  and  Walachia  enjoy  their 
nationality  and  independence  on  condition  of  paying  a  yearly 
tribute  to  the  Porte. 

None  of  their  forts  are  now  to  receive  a  Turkisii  garrison. 

The  prince  is  assisted  by  a  council  formed  of  the  leading 
boyards,  and  this  council  forms  a  high  court  of  ai)peal  for  judicial 
afiEairs.  In  modem  times,  Couza  was  the  best  known  prince  of 
Walachia,  although  political  events  or  popular  discontent  led  to 
his  early  fall. 

The  public  safety  is  attended  to  by  a  sort  of  indigenous  poUce, 
commanded  by  the  head  spathar. 

The  inhabitants  of  Walachia  are  remai*kable  for  patience  and 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  109 

resignation;  without  these  qualities,  it  would  have  fared  hard 
with  them  during  the  calamities  which  have  at  all  times  befallen 
their  country*  They  are  men  of  a  mild,  religious^  and  sober 
temperament.  But,  since  they  are  unable  to  enjoy  the  result  of 
their  labour,  they  do  as  little  work  as  possible.  The  milk  of 
their  kine,  pork,  a  little  maize,  and  beer  of  an  inferior  quality^ 
with  a  woollen  dress,  is  all  they  require.  On  fete  days,  however, 
the  peasants  appear  in  brilliant  costumes,  which  we  represent 
here  (figs.  87,  88,  89). 

**  The  Walachians,"  says  M.  Yaillant,  **  are  generally  of  con* 
siderable  height,  well-made,  and  robust ;  they  have  oblong  faces, 
black  hair,  thick  and  well-arched  eyebrows,  bright  eyes,  small 
lips,  and  white  teeth.  They  are  merry,  hospitable,  sober,  active, 
brave,  and  fitted  to  make  good  soldiers.  They  profess  Christianity 
according  to  the  rites  of  the  Greek  church.  This  people,  which 
has  so  long  inhabited  countries  devastated  by  warfare,  shows  at 
the  present  time  a  strong  disposition  to  develop  itself." 

Towns  are  rare  in  Walachia,  the  country  being  still  far  in 
arrear  of  the  surrounding  civilization,  in  consequence  of  its 
political  subordination  to  Turkey,  and  its  bad  internal  organiza- 
tion* The  country  of  the  Danube,  indeed,  has  practically  but 
one  hutge  town,  that  is,  Bucharest.  There  are  thus,  in  this  land, 
no  centres  from  whence  light  could  emanate ;  it  is  in  an  incom- 
plete state  of  civilization,  which  can  be  improved  only  by  an 
internal  revolution,  or  by  the  collision  which,  sooner  or  later, 
must  come,  of  its  powerful  adjacent  empires. 

"  However,'*  says  Malte-Bnm,  "  nature  seems  to  await 
human  industry  with  open  arms;  there  are  few  regions  upon 
which  she  has  kvished  her  gifts  as  she  has  here.  The  finest 
river  in  Europe  bathes  the  southern  frontier  of  these  provinces, 
and  opens  a  way  into  fertile  Hungary,  and  the  whole  Austrian 
empire,  offering,  moreover,  a  communication  between  Europe 
and  Asia,  by  the  Black  Sea ;  but  this  is  all  in  vain,  for  hardly 
a  single  vessel  glides  over  its  waves.  Its  rocks,  its  shoals,  the 
Turkish. ganisons  on  its  banks,  and  above  all,  the  plague,  inspire 
fear.  Otiier  fine  rivers  flow  from  the  siunmit  of  the  Carpathian 
mountainSy.and  &Uinto  the  Danube ;  but  they  serve  only  to  supply 
fish  during  Lent,  and,  being  left  to  themselves,  menace  the  sur- 
rounding country,  which,  if  better  regulated,  they  would  fertilize. 
The  Aluta,  Jalovitza>  and  Ardschis,  are  navigated  only  by  flat- 


—LADY  or  BUOKUtEBT, 


EDBOPEAN    BRAKCH.  Ill 

bottomed  boats.  Immense  marshes  encnmber  the  low  parts 
of  Walachia,  and  their  exhalations  produce  a  continuance  of 
biliooB  fevers.  The  most  superb  forests,  in  which  splendid  oaks 
grow  side  by  side  with  beeches,  pines,  and  firs,  cover  not  only  the 


,  bat  many  of  the  large  islands  in  the  Danube.  These, 
1  of  being  used  in  the  construction  of  fleets,  merely  furnish 
the  wood  used  in  paving  the  streets  or  roads ;  for  idleness  and 
ignorance  find  no  means  of  raising  the  blocks  of  granite  and 
msible,  of  which  the  Carpathians  offer  such  abandonee.    The 


THE    WHITE    RACE. 


summit  of  Mount  Boutchez  attainB  a  height  of  more  than  six 
thooaand  feet,  and  all  the  mineral  wealth  of  Transylvania  seems 
to  take  its  origin  in  Upper  Walachia.  Copper  mines  have  been 
opened  at  Baya  di  Boma,  and  iron  mines  in  the  district  of 


^-^u;\l!l  \U^ 


40.— noBu  BOBNUX 


Gersy,  one  especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Zigarescht,  where 
a  bed  of  rocks  presents  the  phenomenon  of  an  almost  continual 
igneooa  fermentation. 

"  The  Alata  and  o^er  rivers  bringdown  nuggets  of  gold,  which 
are  collected  by  the  BoUemians,  or  Ziguans,  and  which  indicate 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  113 

the  presence  of  mines  as  rich  as  those  of  Transylvania;  but  no  one 
thinks  of  looking  for  them.  Only  the  salt  quarries  are  worked, 
among  which  that  of  Okna  Teleago  furnishes  150,000  cwt.  per 
annum.  The  cUmate,  notwithstanding  two  months  of  hard 
winter  and  two  months  of  excessive  heat,  is  more  favourable  to 
health  and  agriculture  than  that  of  any  of  the  adjacent  countries. 
The  pastures,  filled  with  aromatic  plants,  supply  nourishment  even 
to  the  herds  of  neighbouring  provinces,  and  could  support  even 
more  than  these.  The  wool  of  their  sheep  has  already  attained 
considerable  value.  It  is  estimated  that  Walachia  contains  two 
and  a  half  millions  of  sheep,  which  are  of  three-fold  variety — the 
zigay,  with  short  and  fine  wool ;  the  zaskam,  with  long  coarse 
wool ;  the  tatare,  which  forms  a  mean  between  the  two  foregoing 
varieties.  Horses  and  oxen  are  exported.  Fields  of  maize, 
wheat,  and  barley ;  forests  of  apple,  plum,  and  cherry  trees ; 
melons  and  cabbages,  excellent,  although  enormous,  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  productive  nature  of  the  soil.  Many  of  its  wines 
sparkle  with  a  generous  fire,  and  with  care  might  be  brought  to 
equal  the  well-known  Hungarian  vintages.  A  thousand  other 
natural  advantages  are  found  there,  but  they  are  of  little  avail  to 
a  people  without  energy  or  enlightenment.'* 


Slavonian  Family. 

This  family  comprehends  the  Russians,  Finns,  Bulgarians, 
Servians,  and  Bosniaks,  that  is  to  say,  the  inhabitants  of 
Slavonia ;  and  the  Magyars,  or  Hungarians,  the  Croats,  the 
Tchecks,  the  Poles,  and  the  Lithuanians,  that  is,  the  people  who 
inhabit  the  countries  intervening  between  the  Baltic  and  Black 
£eas. 

Before  describing  these  people  individually,  we  shall  give  in  a 
general  manner  the  characteristics  of  the  family  to.  which  they  all 
belong. 

The  Slavonian  family  includes  the  European  peoples  who  have 
preserved  in  the  greatest  perfection  the  type  of  the  primitive 
Aryan  race.  They  are  tall,  vigorous,  and  well  made,  and  while  in 
this  respect  they  recall  the  Caucasian  type,  they  yet  possess  the 
most  distinct  marks  of'the  Mongolian  type.  The  cheek  bones 
are  high,  the  nose  is  depressed  at  the  root,  and  turned  up  towards 
the  extremity,  which  is  almost  invariably  thick.     The  oval  form 


114  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

of  the  cranium  is  very  marked ;  the  chest  is  of  considerable  cajja- 
cit}',  and  the  shoulders  and  arms  are  large,  but  the  lower  ex- 
tremities are  in  proportion  much  smaller. 

Mr.  William  Edwards  has  thus  described  the  organic  type  of 
the  Slavonians : — 

*'  The  form  of  the  head,  viewed  from  the  front,  represents 
pretty  nearly  a  square,  since  the  height  is  about  equal  to  the 
breadth,  while  the  top  is  perceptibly  flattened,  and  the  direction 
of  the  jaw  is  horizontal.  The  nose  is  less  long  than  the  space 
between  its  basis  and  the  chin :  from  the  nostrils  to  the  root,  it 
is  almost  straight,  that  is,  there  is  no  decided  curve ;  but  if  such 
curve  were  appreciable,  it  would  be  slightly  concave,  so  as  to  give 
the  tip  a  tendency  to  rise ;  the  lower  portion  is  rather  broad,  and 
the  extremity  rounded.  The  eyes,  which  are  slightly  hollow,  are 
exactly  in  the  same  line,  and  if  they  present  any  marked  cha- 
racteristic, it  is  that  they  ai'e  rather  small  in  proportion  to  the 
head.  Tlie  eyebrows,  which  are  scanty,  are  nearly  contiguous 
at  the  inner  angle,  wlience  they  are  directed  obliquely  outwards* 
The  mouth,  wliich  is  small  with  thin  lips,  is  much  nearer  the  nose 
than  the  chin.  A  singular  characteristic  which  must  be  taken  in 
connection  with  the  above,  and  which  is  very  general,  consists  in 
the  absence  of  beard  except  upon  the  upper  lip.'* 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Slavonians  of  tlie  i)resent  day  are 
the  old  Scythians  mixed  with  the  Sainnatians,  but  their  origin  is 
not  so  simple  as  this.  These  people  originally  bore  the  name 
of  Venedians  or  Servians,  They  occupied,  at  the  commence* 
ment  of  the  Chiistian  era,  the  banks  of  the  Danube  and  Hungary 
l)roper,  whence  they  extended  as  far  as  the  Dnieper  and  the 
Baltic.  Their  name  of  Serviuns  is  derived  from  a  people  men- 
tioned by  Ptolemy,  under  the  name  of  Scpgoi,  who  dwelt  in  the 
regions  aroimd  the  Baltic  (Paltis-Meotis),  and  belonged  to  the 
Sarmatian  nation.  The  Sarmatians  advanced  by  degrees  from  the 
banks  of  the  lower  Don,  wliich  was  their  country,  to  the  centre  of 
Poland,  where  they  mixed  with  the  Venedians.  The  Sarmatians 
were  allied  to  the  Scythians  of  Europe,  who  were  an  Indo- 
Euroi)ean  nation,  considered  by  Diodorus  of  Sicily,  and  Pliny,  to 
have  come  originally  from  Media. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  rather  comjilicated  pedigree  of 
the  Slavonians,  is  connected  with  gradual  displacements  of 
Asiatic    populations.     This    then    explains   the   fact  that  they 


RVSaUR    SESTINBL,    BIOA. 


lie  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

possess  the  Caucasian  type  in  a  remarkable  degree  of  purity,  but 
altered  by  the  admixture  of  Mongolian  blood. 

A  certain  love  of  separatism,  and  a  tendency  to  rebel  under  the 
yoke  of  authority,  have  been  the  misfortune  of  these  people.  At 
an  early  period  they  separated  into  rival  nationalities,  possessing 
but  little  capacity  for  self-government.  Anarchy  was  their 
political  condition,  and  to  this  must  be  attnbuted  the  misfortunes 
of  Poland  and  Hungary,  nations  which,  at  the  present  day,  are 
almost  effaced  from  the  Map  of  Europe. 

The  Slavonians  occupy  a  large  portion  of  Eastern  Europe; 
formerly  they  had  advanced  as  far  as  the  centre  of  Germany* 
The  descendants  of  the  German  Slavonians  are  found  in  the 
Venedians  of  Lusatia,  the  Tchecks  or  inhabitants  of  Bohemia,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  Carinthia  and  Camiola.  The  purest  type  of 
the  Slavonian  race  is  to  be  found  in  the  Servians,  inhabitants  of 
Servia,  Herzegovina  and  Hungarian  Slavonia.  The  Bosniaks 
and  Montenegriners  are  also  Slavonians.  They  formerly  sent  to 
Croatia  colonists  under  the  name  of  Uscoks  (emigrants.) 

The  Croats  are  Slavonians  who  descended,  about  the  ninth, 
century,  from  the  region  of  the  Carpathians  in  lUyria,  and  who 
absorbed  the  previous  original  Pannonian  and  Dalmatian  popi&> 
lation. 

A  branch  quite  distinct  from  this  great  race,  and  which  misiit 
be  considered  as  forming  a  separate  stock,  is  represented  by  the 
Lithuanians,  a  people  whose  mild  and  indolent  nature  would 
seem  to  imply  a  mixture  at  some  remote  period,  with  Finn,  or, 
perhaps  also,  with  Gothic  blood. 

Ilussia  is  occupied  at  the  present  day  by  a  Slavonian  race 
mixed  with  the  Scandinavians  and  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  the 
soil.  The  Slavonians  who  occupied  Poland  spread  from  the 
banks  of  the  Dnieper  to  the  foot  of  the  Oural  mountains,  while 
the  immigration  of  the  Yaregians,  a  Scandinavian  people,  brought 
a  northern  influence  into  this  country.  These  Yaregians 
absorbed  the  Slevenians  whom  they  found  in  this  coimtry,  and 
the  Tchoudans  who  had  summoned  them.  Under  this  twofold 
action  arose  the  Eussian  nation,  which  is  mentioned  by  Greek 
writers  for  the  first  time  in  839,  and  the  elements  of  which  were 
subsequently  modified  in  various  respects  by  the  infusion  of 
Turkish  and  Mongolian  blood.  Ilussia  took  its  name  from  the 
country  situate  around  Upsal,  which  was  the  native  district  of  the 


42.— KUBSIAN  ttkTOTEES,  RIUA. 


118  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

Scandinavian  emigrants  (Rios-Lagen,  the  Buotsimaa  of  the 
Finns). 

The  population  of  Bussia  Major  appears  to  be  chiefly  composed 
of  a  Finnish-Slavonic  race.  Among  the  inhabitants  of  Russia  Minor 
(Cossacks  of  the  Ukraine),  the  Polish  element  predominates. 
Among  these  Russians  we  shall  find  the  stock  of  those  who  estab- 
lished themselves  farther  north  in  Russia  Major,  the  population 
of  which  eventually  absorbed  them.  The  Bielo-Russians,  or  in- 
habitants of  White  Russia,  who  occupy  the  greater  portion  of 
the  provinces  of  Mohilew,  Minsk,  Witepsk,  Grodno,  and  Wilna, 
constitute  a  race  intermediate  between  tlie  Russians  and  the 
Poles. 

The  latter  first  appear  in  history  with  the  d}Tiasty  of  the  Piasts, 
about  860.  The  Slovachians,  who  extend  to  the  north-west  of 
Hungary  as  far  as  Austrian  Galicia,  belong,  as  well  as  the 
Tchecks,  to  this  same  Polish  branch.  The  Ruthenians,  settled 
to  the  north  of  Transylvania,  proceeded  from  the  mixture  of 
the  first  Slavonians  established  in  this  country  with  the  Poles 
who  emigrated  in  the  twelfth  century  from  Galicia  or  Red 
Russia. 

Such  is  the  vast  collection  of  populations  united  imder  tlie 
name  of  the  Slavonian  family. 

It  is  diflScult  to  analyze  the  habits  of  a  race,  which,  for  centuries, 
has  been  divided  between  oppression  and  slaver}'.  We  will,  liow- 
ever,  endeavour  to  do  so,  and  shall  commence  with  the  Northern 
Slavonians. 

The  Northern  Slavonian  is,  in  general,  gentle  and  patient. 
His  sweet  toned  language  caresses  tlie  ear  and  the  mind  with 
expressions  full  of  tenderness.  He  treats  his  wife  and  children 
with  the  greatest  kindness.  Like  the  Arab,  he  loves  a  life  of 
wandering  and  adventure  beneath  the  open  sky,  and,  like  tlie 
Arab,  he  can  bear  the  greatest  fatigue.  On  horseback  he  crosses 
plains  covered  with  snow,  as  the  Arab  crosses  the  burning  sands 
of  the  desert.  Music  has  a  very  moving  effect  on  tlie  Slavonian. 
It  forms  a  means  of  translating  his  tenderness  and  his  melan- 
choly ;  it  responds  to  the  vague  and  cloudy  impressions,  to  the 
yearnings,  of  his  swelling  heart.  The  Slavonian  peasants  culti- 
vate the  voice,  and  men,  rough  and  coarse  in  many  other  respects, 
compose  melodies  full  of  sentiment.     The  auditors  press  around 


EUROPEAN   BRANCH.  119 

the  singer,  like  the  shepherds  of  ancient  Arcadia,  and  tears  of 
emotion  and  pleasure  are  seen  rolling  down  the  unkempt  beards 
of  these  poor  Danubians. 

The  Slavonians  are  less  sensible  to  linear  than  to  musical 
harmony.  Thus  it  is  that  Russian  ai'chitectiire  can  do  no  more 
than  imitate  the  monuments  of  France  and  Italy.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  taste  for  coloiu*  attains  with  them  a  considerable 
development,  a  fact  which  is  evidenced  by  the  colours  of  their 
materials  and  furniture,  and  the  decoration  of  their  apartments. 
The  sense  of  ornament  is  to  be  met  with  in  the  lowest  villages  of 
Russia,  and  the  peasant  who  constructs  liis  house  with  the  rough- 
hewn  trunks  of  trees,  does  not  omit  to  paint  and  carve  his  door, 
window,  and  roof. 

This  explains  how  tlie  serf,  when  taken  from  his  plough,  is 
able,  after  a  very  short  apprenticeship,  to  reproduce  the  delicate 
and  artistic  work  of  the  Parisian  jeweller. 

We  see,  therefore,  that  the  artistic  aptitudes  of  the  Slavonian 
are  well  developed,  and  that  this  race,  in  order  to  arrive  at 
excellence  in  art,  only  requires  the  conditions  of  political  liberty 
and  individual  independence. 

From  a  moral  aspect,  the  Noithern  Slavonian  obeys,  above 
all,  the  inclination  of  his  heart,  rather  than  of  his  reason.  Nor 
must  the  Russian  be  looked  to  for  personal  initiative,  or  philo- 
sophical or  social  innovations.  He  does  not  possess  the 
instinct  of  Uberty,  but  he  has,  in  a  high  degree,  sympathy,  col- 
lective action,  and  the  equalizing  tendencies  which  are  its  con- 
sequences. 

This  sentimental  supremacy  is  manifested  in  the  Orthodox 
religion  which  prevails  in  Russia,  which  imposes  with  authority 
its  decisions,  and  the  precepts  of  which  are  adckessed  less  to  the 
reason  than  to  bUnd  faith. 

By  referring  to  this  feeling  of  sjonpathy,  we  are  enabled  to 
famish  an  explanation  of  the  facility  with  which  an  immense 
population,  with  bad  police  arrangements,  bad  administration,  and 
without  good  means  of  communication,  acts  collectively,  accepting 
the  same  faith,  and  obeying  the  same  law.  The  minds  of  all  in 
Russia  seem  to  obey  one  single  will  and  inspiration. 

The  Slavonian  republics  flomished  from  the  sixth  to  the 
seventh  century,  during  which  time  these  people  were  happy, 
wealthy,  and  tranquil.     Art  and  science  flourished  there  under 


120  THE    WHITE    RACK 

the  shelter  of  municipal  liberty.  But,  although  weU  formed  for 
peace,  they  did  not  possess  the  element  of  centralization  which 
was  necessary  to  enable  them  to  withstand  foreign  aggression » 
They  at  last  became  a  prey  to  the  Mongolians  and  Germans,  who 
brought  with  them  a  feudal  form  of  government,  and  banished  all 
prosperity  by  destroying  the  democratic  element  of  equality. 
The  inhabitants  of  Novgorod  were  reduced  to  an  actual  state  of 
slavery,  and  Poland,  devoted  to  deplorable  political  institutions, 
became,  from  that  moment,  a  prey  to  the  anarchy  which  was  to 
bring  about  its  fall. 

Russia  took  its  origin  from  the  submission  of  the  Slavonian 
populations  of  the  north,  to  the  despotic  centralization  so 
powerfully  organized  by  Peter  the  Great  and  his  successors. 

The  Slavonians  of  the  South,  that  is,  the  inhabitants  of 
Slavonia,  Servia,  Bulgaria,  Carniola,  &c.,  differ  sensibly  from 
those  of  the  North.  A  dry  and  mountainous  country,  filled, 
nevertheless,  with  sweet  odours,  a  burning  sim,  a  cleai*  sky,  and 
the  various  products  of  the  soil,  have  rendered  the  race  of 
Southern  Slavonians  dai-k,  wiry,  active,  warlike,  and  chivalrous. 
Few  men  are  stronger,  physically  or  morally,  than  the  Sla- 
vonians of  the  Ottoman  Empire. 

Tlie  deplorable  Turkish  administration  has  been  unable  to 
change  the  precious  qualifications  of  this  people.  Though  con- 
tinually beaten  down  with  the  sword,  they  always  rise  again ;  tlie 
least  hope  of  independence  nerves  their  heai-ts.  The  hospitality 
of  the  Southern  Slavonians,  their  language  brimming  with  poetry, 
and  their  national  songs,  all  impart  to  them  a  fine  and  beautiful 
character.  It  may  be  safely  affirmed  that  a  brilliant  civilization 
will  arise  among  these  people  as  soon  as  they  are  released  from 
the  Turkish  yoke. 

We  will  now  shortly  consider  the  principal  populations  whom 
we  have  classed  imder  the  Slavonian  family. 

Russians. — The  Bussians  form  the  most  important  branch  of 
this  family.  They  may  be  subdivided  into  RiLSsians  propeiiy  so 
called,  Rousniaksy  and  Cossacks, 

The  Bussians,  properly  so  called,  inhabit,  almost  exclusively, 
the  central  portion  of  Bussia,  and  are,  moreover,  disseminated 
throughout  all  the  rest  of  the  Bussian  Empire,  the  immense  extent 
of  which  is  well  known.     In  the  Asiatic  and  American  portions  of 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  181 

this  vast  empire,  they  form,  not  the  majority,  but  the  ruling 
section  of  the  population. 

Figs.  43  and  44  will  convey  an  idea  of  the  Russian  physiognomy 
in  the  capital  of  tlie  enipiie,  St.  Petereburg;  fig,  43  represents 


the  dress  of  the  townspeople,  and  the  sledge  which  takes  the  plaoe 
of  the  cairinge  during  the  long  winters  of  tliis  latitude ;  fig.  44 
represents  the  interior  of  an  inn. 

In  Russian,  the  term  Uba  is  applied  to  the  dwellings  of  the 
peasuibry,  which   are  almost  always   constructed  of  wood.    A 


122  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

Itussian  village  usually  consists  of  only  one  street,  lined  with 
isbas,  more  or  less  ornamented,  according  to  the  taste  or  fortune 
of  the  proprietor.  The  houses  are  almost  always  similar.  Figure 
45  shows  the  interior  of  this  house. 

In   these   houses   everjthing  is   made   of  wood,   except   that 


portion  which  suiTounds  a  gigantic  stove  k^pt  alight  during  the 
whole  winter.  The  furniture  consists  of  forms  placed  along  the 
walls,  and  which  serve  as  beds  for  tlie  whole  family,  who  in  winter 
however  sleep  apon  tlie  stove. 

To  tlie  ceiling  are  suspended  tlie  provisions  and  candles.     In 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  123 

the  comer  of  every  room  is  an  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
Instruments  of  labour,  cooking  utensils,  and  domestic  animals 
mingle,  ivitliin  the  isba,  in  pictm-esque  disorder. 

The  Russiftii  peasant  is  intelligent,  brave,  hospitable,  affable, 
and  benevolent ;  but  he  is  wanting  in  cleanliness,  and  indulges  to 


excess  m  malt  t,\  nt      He     ea      a    1  rt  of    otto      t  ff  lly 

red   falhng  o  er  capac  ous  t  ouse  s  nhi  h  are  tu  ked  ii  to  heavy 
boots 

His  outer  clothmg  consists  of  the  to  h  pa  formed  of  a  sheep  b 
skin  w  th  the  wool  on    inl     o-nntl    tl       next  tie  bo  1        His 


124  THE   WHITE    RACE 

low  crowned  hat  has  a  broad  turned  up  rim.  The  hat  worn 
by  peasants  in  the  neigbboorhood  of  Moscow  is  pointed  and 
almost  without  a  lim. 

Tlie  women  wear  boots  like  the  men :  they  also  wear  the  touloupa, 
with  a  shawl  and  kerchief  over  the  head  and  shoulders.  It  is 
only  on  fete   days  that   this  wretched  costume  gives   place  ti> 


ifP9^ 

\  -% 

^^^^i^M 

^.^^!3 

aprons  and  shawls,  of  bright  colour,  and  even  embroidered  in 
gold  and  silver.  Tlie  head-dresses  are  elegant,  and  vary  in  the 
different  provinces, 

The  pleasures  of  a  Russian  peasant  are  always  of  a  serious 
character.  The  quick  and  sparkling  expansion  and  gaiety  of 
Southern  popidations  are  unknown  to  the  inhabitants  of  these 
frozen  regions. 


EUBOPEAN    BRAIfCH.  185 

M.  d'Hearyet,  who  has  travelled  in  the  Russian  prorinces  of  the 
Baltic,  informs  us,  that  at  Biga  the  houses  are  comfortable  and 
well  appointed ;  that  immense  stoves  preserve  a  temperature  of  68" 
or  more  in  vast  apartments,  yarded  from  without  by  double 
nindowB  and  double  doors :  that  persons  lenving  the  house 
envelop  themselves  in  a  fur  robe,  which  leaves  no  form  distin- 
guishable, HO  that  it  is  difficult  to  say  whetlier  the  individual  in 


question  is  a  man  or  woman :  Uiat  at  night,  the  bed  is  small,  low, 
furnished  with  one  or  two  leathern  mattresses  and  some  sheets  a 
little  larger  than  napkins.  They  live  in  a  hot-lionse  atmosphere, 
the  air  of  which  is  not  often  enough  renewed. 

The  Cossacks  form  in  Russia  rather  a  mihtary  caste  than  a 
distinct  people.  They  seem  to  be  descended  from  the  Bousniaks 
mixed  with  other  people,  chiefly  Circassians.  They  frequently 
have  longer  faces,  more  prominent  noses,  and  are  of  greater 
height,  than  the  Russians  properly  so  called.  Their  principal 
settlement   is   upon   the    banks   of   the    lower  portion  of   the 


126  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

Don.  They,  however,  rarely  possess  a  fixed  Tesidence,  since  the 
Cosisncks,  spread  throughout  the  entire  Uussian  Empire,  act  as 
light  cavalry  and  border  troops. 

Figures  48  and  49  represent  different  types,  taken  from  Nature, 
of  Ct)ssacks  who  live  in  the  Caucasus,  along  the  frontiers  which 
bound  the  Southern  portion  of  the  Bussian  possessions. 


Finns. — The  Finns  form  small  scattered   populations   which 
extend  from  the  Baltic  sea  to  tlie  east  of  the   Obi.     The  Finns 


ore  regarded  as  the  remains  of  people  once  far  more  numerous, 
who  have  been  conquered,  repressed,  carried  off,  or  diiven  back  by 
Slavonians,  Turks,  and  Mongolians.  They  lead  the  life  of  hunters 
and  husbandmen,  rather  than  that  of  warriors  and  nomads. 
Beddish,  or,  frequently  red  hair,  a  scanty  beard,  a  complexion 
marked  with  red  patches,  bluish  or  grey  eyes,  sunken  cheeks, 
prominent  cheek-bones,  a  large  occiput,  and  an  angular  frame 
possessing  less  beauty  than  that  of  the  Europeans  and  Arameans, 
have  been  regarded  as  the  original  characteristics  of  the  Finns : 
but  in  a  large  number  of  these  people  these  characteristics  are 
more  or  less  modified.    Among  them  are  distinguished  the  Oatiaks, 


EUEOPEAN    BBANCH. 


127 


the  VofjouU,  the  Finns  of  Siberia,  the  Finns  of  Eastern  Russia,  ami 
the  Finm  of  the  Baltic. 

The  Finns  of  Siberia  form  tiTO  groups ;  one  in  the  South,  the 
other  in  the  North. 

The  fv)rmer  is  compose*!  of  certain  i)eoi>le  known  under  the 


names  of  the  Teleouts,  Si^ais,  and  Kachintz,  wliose  langiirtge 
bears  some  general  affinity  to  Turkish  dialects  ;  these  give  tliem- 
selves  up  to  hunting,  fishing,  and  agriculture,  and  are  subject  to 
the  Russian  Empire. 

The  Northern  group  is  formed  of  two  people  :  the  Ostiaks  and 
the  Voffouh  who  have  retained  Finnish  dialects. 

The  Vogouls  form  only  a  very  insignificant  population  dwell- 


~^"€3rir  T^iv 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  129 

ing  east  of  the  Oural,  and  have  undergone  such  mixture  with  the 
Turks  and  Mongolians  as  to  have  adopted  to  a  great  extent  their 
characteristics. 

The  Ostiaks  who  dwell  upon  the  banks  of  the  Obi  appear  to 
have  preserved  in  much  greater  perfection  the  characteristics  of 
the  Finns.  They  are  a  people  devoted  to  hunting  and  fishing, 
with  red  hair,  very  uncivilized,  and  partly  idolatrous. 

Madame  Eva  Felinska,  during  an  exile  in  Siberia,  inspected, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  Ostiak  huts.  These  habitations  were  so 
foul,  and  gave  forth  such  putrid  miasmas,  that,  notwithstanding 
her  curiosity,  tliis  lady  was  unable  to  remain  in  them  more  than 
n  minute. 

The  Ostiaks  cover  their  skins  witli  a  layer  of  rancid  fat,  over 
which  they  wear  a  reindeer  skin.  They  eat  uncooked  fish  or 
game,  this  being  their  ordinary  food.  But  from  time  to  time 
they  go  with  large  buckets  of  bark  to  Berezer,  where  they  collect, 
and  devour  as  delicacies,  the  refuse  of  the  kitchens.  Fig.  51 
represents  an  Ostiak  hut. 

The  Finns  of  Eastern  Russia  comprise  the  Baakira,  the 
TeptiarSy  and  tlie  Metscheriaks  of  the  Southern  Oural:  three 
small  peoples  who  speak  Turkish  dialects  mingled  with  Finnish 
words,  and  who  exist  in  very  much  the  same  way.  The  Baskirs 
are  the  most  numerous ;  they  are  engaged  in  rearing  horses  and 
beea.  Like  the  Cossacks  tliey  furnish  bodies  of  cavalry  to  the 
Bossian  army. 

The  Finns  of  the  Volga  comprise  the  Tchouvachians,  Tchere- 
missians  and  Moadueinites,  who  likewise  speak  dialects  interspersed 
with  Turkish  words  :  a  short  time  siace  they  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  husbandry. 

Certain  populations  scattered  through  the  governments  of 
Perm,  Vologda,  Orenburg,  and  Viatka,  are  the  remains  of  a  people 
of  some  consideration,  formerly  independent,  civilized,  and  com- 
mercialy  whom  the  Bussians  subdued,  and  to  a  large  extent 
absorbed :  these  are  the  Permians. 

The  Finns  of  the  Baltic,  or  Finns  properly  so  called,  have  been 
long  under  the  rule  of  Teutonic  nations,  and  have  generally 
preserved  the  characteristics  of  the  family  we  have  described 
above.  Among  them  are  distinguished  the  Livonians,  EstlionianSy 
IscharianSf  Kyndk,  Ymea  or  Finlanders,  and  QuaineSy  who  are 
respectiyely  the  remains  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Livonia, 


130 


THE    WHITE    BACK. 


Esthonia,  Ingria,  Finland,  and  Carelia,  where  they  are  now  mixed 
with  the  Slavonians  and  Teutons.  During  the  last  century  the 
Quainea  pushed  forward  to  tlie  extremity  of  Norwegian  Lapland, 
of  which  they  at  present  form  the  principal  population.. 

BtUgarians,  Servians,  and  BosnUiks  or  inhabitants  of  Flavinia. 
— In  order  to  describe  these,  we  need  do  no  more  thao  refer  to 


the  general  facts  which  have  been  stated  above  with  reference 
to  the  Southern  Slavonians.  We  will  merely  borrow  a  few 
descriptions  and  ill^tratious  from  the  work  of  M.  George 
Perrot,  a  French  writer,  "  Voyage  ckez  lea  Slaves  du  Sud," 
published  in  1870,  and  well  known  on  account  of  the  excellent 
history  it  contains  of  his  travels  in  Asia  Minor. 

M.  Geoi^e  Perrot  travelled  through  Slavonia,  Croatia,  Bosnia, 
And  the  strip  of  territory  recently  cleared  to  serve  as  a  frontier  to 


13S  THE    WHITE    EACE. 

the  Mussulman  possessions,  and  which  bears  the  name  of  Military 
Cortfineg. 


M.   George   Perrot  first  of  all  gives  us  some   tj'pes  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Slaroma,  which  we  shall  reproduce  here     Figure 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH. 


133 


54  represents  a  peasant  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Essek,  a  town 
of  Slavonia. 

While  halting  at  the  borough  of  Vouka,  situated  a  few  leogoes 


from  Essek,  M.  George  PeiTot  thus   describes  the  peasants  of 
these  parts. 

"  The  majority  of  the  men  around  us  have  haii'  which  is  blond 
or  of  different  shades  of  chestnut.  Although  much  burnt  by  the 
son,  they  are  not  generally  so  dark  as  the  Magyars.  Many  of 
the  women,  who  are  tall  and  slender,  are  really  beautiful.     Their 


134  THE   WHITE   RACE, 

eyes  especially,  which  are  bright  and  sparkling,  and  sometimes 
blue,  though  more  frequently  of  a  dark  grey,  are  charming.  The 
lower  portion  of  their  face  is  less  agreeable  ;  the  chin  is  usually 
prominent,  and  the  Hps  are  rather  thick. 

"  Their  costume  recalls  that  met  with  in  the  East.  The 
men  wear  a  slouch  hat  of  black  felt  with  the  edges  turned  up, 
a  linen  shiit,  and  full  trousers  down  to  the  ankle ;  this  in  hot 
weather,  when  they  are  in  working  order,  forms  the  whole  dress. 
One  or  two  loungers,  who  joined  us,  were  more  completely 
dressed  than  this. 

*  "  They  wore  large  boots  of  thick  leather,  and  over  the  shirt  a 
waistcoat  of  blue  cloth,  adorned  in  front,  with  white  metal  buttons, 
and  behind,  with  embroider}'  in  yellow  or  white.  On  another 
occasion,  when  we  were  on  the  boat,  we  saw  some  men  who, 
in  addition  to  this,  wore,  over  the  waistcoat,  a  short  cape  or 
half-cloak,  which  did  not  fall  lower  than  the  waist,  and  of  which, 
as  a  rule,  the  sleeves  were  allowed  to  hang  loose.  In  winter, 
they  add  to  these,  warm  robes  of  sheepskin  or  large  mantles, 
which  put  me  in  mind  of  the  rough  overcoats  worn  by  our 
waggoners. 

"As  to  the  women,  they  make  me  think  of  the  Albanians  of 
Attica.  Tliis  fine  September  afternoon,  they  are  wearing  a  long 
chemise,  embroidered  with  eyelet  holes  and  coloured  patterns ; 
this  chemise,  which  leayes  the  neck  very  open,  would  reach  to  the 
ground,  but  in  order  to  permit  of  freer  movement  in  the  fields  or 
.  at  home,  it  is  hitched  up,  and  supported  by  a  coloured  girdle, 
wound  two  or  three  times  round  the  body ;  being  thus  held  up, 
the  chemise  forms  elegant  and  symmetrical  folds,  falling  in  front 
as  low  as  the  ankle,  while  behind,  it  extends  to  about  half  way 
down  the  calf  of  the  leg.  Over  the  head  is  thrown,  in  various 
fashions,  a  kerchief,  which  is  usually  white,  but  which  on  festive 
occasions  is  embroidered  with  silver  and  gold ;  the  ends  of  this 
fall  down  the  back,  or  over  the  bosom,  as  may  suit  the  taste  of  the 
wearer.  When  the  best  dress  is  donned,  a  cloth  apron,  the 
colour  and  pattern  of  which  bear  a  resemblance  to  the  carpets 
which  I  have  met  with  in  Servia  and  Bosnia,  hangs  down  to  the 
knees ;  over  the  chemise  is  worn  a  species  of  waistcoat  without 
sleeves,  and  ornamented  with  gold  or  silver  embroidery.  In 
winter,  they  guard  against  the  cold  by  wearing  over  all  a  thick 
overcoat  of  sheepskin.    All  the  garments  worn  bv  the  women  are 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  136 

worked  by  their  own  hands  and  busy  fingers,  during  the  long 
winter  evenings." 

M.  George  Perrot  remained  for  rnther   fi  long  period  in  tlie 


provinces  now  called  the  Military  Confines  or  Frontiers,  and  he 
describes  the  miserable  state  in  which  the  Slavonian  peasantry 
exist  there,  where  they  ore  obhged  to  live  side  by  side  with  wild 
hordes  of  Mussulman  soldiers  or  pandours. 

Figure  65   shows   peasants   of  these  districts  returning  irom 
pasture. 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  137 

Figure  56  is  given  by  the  author  as  a  t}^e  of  the  Slavonian 
women  who  inhabit  tlie  Mihtary  frontiers. 

Let  us  quote  a  few  more  of  this  traveller's  impressions. 

**  What  struck  me  in  all  the  villages  of  the  Confines  through 
which  I  passed,  were  the  guard  stations,  before  which  loitered,  or 
slept  beside  their  guns,  suspended  on  the  wall,  five  or  six  Gninzcr. 
In  summer,  thej'  weai*  merely  theii*  trousers  and  sliu-t  of  coarse 
white  cloth,  and  sometimes  a  soil  of  brown  jacket  with  red 
facings,  which  they  also  wear  for  field  work.  In  winter 
tliey  are  seen  enveloped  in  tlieii*  large  hooded  cloaks  of  red 
cloth ;  and,  thus  equipped  and  armed,  guard  theii-  flocks  on  tlie 
moors.  The  state  furnishes  them,  for  exercise  and  service,  with 
guns  similar  to  those  used  by  regiments  of  the  Une ;  but  when  not 
on  duty,  many  of  them  prefer  long  guns  of  Albanian  manufacture 
or  shape,  with  swallow-tailed  stocks.  These  guns  ai'e  transmitted 
from  father  to  son  for  several  generations.  Besides  these,  they 
wear  in  their  gh'dles,  one  or  two  pistols,  and  a  kind  of  dagger  with 
a  bone  handle  inlaid  with  coral  or  glass.  In  tliis  guise  they  have 
rather  the  appeai*ance  of  Bosniak  bachibozouks,  than  of  civilized 
subjects  of  His  Majesty  Francis  Joseph,  constitutional  Emperor  of 
Austria,  and  King  of  Hungary.  Then*  uniform,  consisting  of  a  blue 
trouser  fitting  close  to  the  leg,  and  a  vest  of  black  or  white  wool, 
is  only  produced  on  field  days,  or  in  war. 

"But  what  is  it  that  tliese  sentinels  are  guai'ding?  This  is  just 
what  I  have  never  been  able  to  imderstand.  No  enemy,  from 
Belgrade  to  Sissek,  was  threatening;  and  these  villages  are  exposed 
to  BO  more  disorder  than  those  of  the  neighboming  provinces, 
where  they  dispense  with  all  this  armed  exhibition.  This,  there- 
fore, is  another  of  the  useless  and  erroneous  consequences  of  the 
military  regime*:  here  are  hands  taken  day  after  day  from  theii* 
labour  in  the  fields,  and  with  no  greater  advantage  than  that  of 
acquiring  the  habits  of  idleness  and  drunkenness,  usually  con- 
tracted duiing  the  period  of  barrack-room  inactivity.'* 

In  Fig.  57  we  represent  one  of  the  militaiy  stations  of  the 
Confines,  with  the  guai'ds  belonging  to  it,  called  Granzers. 

**  All  those  who  have  lived  for  some  time  among  the  Granzers, 
have  been  struck  with  their  indolent  apathy,  their  careless  and 
continued  idleness.  For  whose  sake  should  they  exhaust  tliem- 
selves  with  work?  Under  the  rules  of  their  community, 
their  wives   and  children  are  almost  beyond  want.     As  regards 


138  -THE   WHITE    RACE. 

themselres,  to-morrow  they  may  be  torn  &om  their  orchards 
and  fields,  to  encounter  death  in  Italy,  or  on  some  other 
frontier ;  would  it  not  be  madness  to  expose  themselves  to  priva- 
tion and  fatigue  in  view  of  a  future  upon  which  they  have  no 
means  of  reckoning  ?    Besides  this,  does  their  property,  which 


they  can  neither  render  as  valuable  as  they  wish,  nor  sell  or 
bequeath  as  they  may  think  proper,  belong  to  them  safficiently  to 
^ve  them  any  pleasure  or  profit  in  its  improvement?  They  have 
maxims  which  accurately  indicate  their  character;  'Go  late  to 
the  field  and  return  early,  so  as  to  avoid  the  dew ; — if  Ood  does 


140  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

not  aid,  what  is  the  use  of  working  ? '  Being  accustomed  to  rely 
only, as  they  say,  'Upon  God  and  the  Emperor,'  they  refuse  to  re- 
cognize the  advantages  to  be  gained  from  any  modem  invention, 
better  tools,  or  more  advanced  methods  of  cultivation.  *  Thus  I 
found  it,  and  thus  I  will  leave  it,'  is  a  saying  of  which  they  often 
make  use  in  speaking  of  their  patrimonial  domain. 

"  The  only  thing  which,  in  spite  of  all  the  shackles  which 
enchain  and  benumb  their  limbs,  would  have  been  able  to  arouse 
their  minds  and  impart  to  them  some  desire  for  progi'ess,  is  in- 
struction. But  ignorance  is  profomid  in  the  Military  Confines;  the 
regimental  schools  that  exist  are  very  insufficient  both  in  number 
and  quality;  in  certain  districts,  especially  in  Southern  Croatia, the 
villages  are  so  distant  from  one  another,  that  the  children,  who  do 
not  dwell  in  the  borough  where  the  school  is,  are  imable,  without 
difficulty,  to  go  there  at  any  time.  Besides,  why  should  the 
government  do  much  as  regards  instruction  ?  It  is  clear,  that,  if 
the  people  of  the  Confines  were  better  taught,  they  would  be  less 
resigned  to  their  hard  lot.  If  it  rested  entirely  with  the 
government,  tlie  schoolmaster  w^ould  be  entu-ely  banished  from 
these  parts. 

"  Upon  the  banks  of  the  Danube  and  of  the  Save,  where  the  Con- 
fines abut  upon  the  river,  which  is  continually  traversed  by  packet- 
boats,  ti'avellers,  and  merchandize,  the  people  of  the  frontiers  have 
nevertheless  daily  communication  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighboming  provinces,  and  even  with  strangers.  Tliis  contact 
somewhat  opens  tlieir  minds  and  suggests  new  ideas ;  but  it  is 
chiefly  in  Southern  Croatia,  in  the  districts  called  Banal  and 
Karlstadt,  tliat  the  characteristic  features  of  the  Grdnzertcre  most 
frequent  and  striking.  There  commences,  soutli-east  of  Karl- 
stadt, what  is  termed  the  dry-frontier;  this  is  no  longer  a  water- 
course such  as  the  Danube  or  Save,  but  aline  purely  conventional, 
forming  the  boundary  between  Austria  and  Turke}'. 

^'  Surprises  and  hand  to  hand  combats  were  recently  matters  of 
frequent  occmTence  upon  this  fi'ontier,  which  is  more  difficult  to 
define  and  to  preserve ;  at  the  commencement  of  this  centurj% 
certain  forts,  and  other  places,  such  as  Zettin,  which  the  Turks 
assaulted  in  1809  and  1818,  were  still  the  subject  of  dispute. 
Here,  moreover,  the  Frontier  territory  is  no  longer  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  kilometres,  but  from  five  to  six  mjTiametres  broad ;  the 
people  subject  to  the  military  regime,  liere,  therefore,  form  a 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  141 

more  homogeneous  and  compact  mass.  Cases  of  armed  brigan- 
dage, and  assassinations,  which  were  very  common  in  the  whole  of 
this  comitry,  are  now  becoming  rarer;  but  theft  is  the  crime 
which  requires  most  fi'equent  punishment.  The  ancestors  of  the 
Granzcra  lived  chiefly  by  plunder,  and  such  habits  ai-e  not  removed 
in  a  day." 

M.  Perrot  made  a  journey  in  Bosnia,  down  the  course  of  the 
river  Save.  He  stopped  in  a  borough  of  this  province,  of  which 
he  speaks  thus  : — 

"  After  a  visit  to  the  Bosniak  priest,  we  wandered  about  the 
town,  where  we  made  several  small  purchases  with  a  view  to 
smuggling.  I  replenished  my  pouch  with  a  Bosnian  tobacco  which 
is  by  no  means  so  good  as  that  of  Macedonia.  I  purchased  a 
rug  such  as  are  worked  also  by  the  women  of  Slavonia  and  the 
Military  Confines :  this  is  not,  like  the  tissues  of  Persia  and 
Anatolia,  thick  and  soft,  but  a  rather  thin  and  dry  quality  of 
cloth." 

Here,  also,  in  designs  and  in  combination  of  colour,  are 
found  the  same  innate  taste,  and  the  same  boldness  which  is  met 
with  usually  in  oriental  workmanship.  The  Slavonian  women,  in 
Austria  as  in  Turkey,  would  be  no  unworthy  rivals  of  the 
Turcoman  women,  who,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Smyrna,  and  from 
the  high  meadow-lands  of  the  Taurus  down  to  the  low  deserts  of 
Persia,  execute,  beneath  their  black  tents  of  goat  or  camel  hair, 
those  marvellous  pieces  of  needlework,  for  which,  at  the  present 
time,  we  pay  so  high  a  price. 

The  inferiority  of  the  products  of  this  domestic  industry  in 
Turkey  in  Europe,  is  attributable  to  the  fact,  that,  here  the  women 
being  within  comparatively  easy  distance  of  large  markets,  filled 
with  European  wares,  are  enabled  to  procure  there  wools  suited 
to  their  wants,  already  dyed  by  industrial  processes :  but  it  will 
be  imderstood  that  the  colours  thus  obtained,  which  are  produced 
with  a  view  to  cheapness  and  variety,  are  far  from  possessing  the 
fresh  and  dm*able  tints  of  those  colours,  few  in  number,  always  the 
same,  and  almost  all  obtained  from  the  animal  and  vegetable 
worlds,  the  secret  of  which  has  been  handed  down  in  the  bazaars 
of  the  East,  and  under  the  tents  of  the  nomadic  tribes,  from  the 
time  when  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Susa,  TjTe,  and  Sidon,  were  at  the 
height  of  their  prosperity. 

**  Our  purchases  at  an  end,  we  returned  along  the  banks  of  the 


U2  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

Save  and  whiletheferrywasattemptmgtopassaherdofbullocks, 
which  had  just  been  purchased  in  Bosnia  I  amused  myself  by 
noting  the  picturesque  mixture  of  costumes  and  types  which  the 
bank   on  which  were  most  of  the  market  people  offered 


"  Here  was  a  jobbing  blacksmitli,  who  had  set  up  his  shop  in  the 
open  air,  hammering  and  putting  in  order  the  pots  which  were 
brought  to  him ;  or  sharpening  with  his  hammer,  the  points  of 
long  iron  clamps,  used  to  connect  the  rafters  of  houses.  His 
arrangemeots  were  most  primitive.    Two  vertical  posts  snpported  a 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  143 

horizontal  piece,  upon  which  worked  the  lever,  by  means  of  which 
the  bellows  were  set  in  motion.  In  &ont  of  the  orifice  by  which 
the  air  escaped,  a  small  anvil  was  fixed  in  the  ground.  Around 
the  proprietor,  seated  on  the  ground,  a  number  of  tools  were 


scattered.  The  long  shirt  and  puffed  out  trousers  of  the 
blacksmith  appeared  white  by  comparison  with  his  skin,  although 
he  had  probably  worn  them  for  some  weeks  ;  his  chest  and  arms 
were  bronze  coloured. 

"  A.  little  farther  on,  the  most  motley  groups  attracted  and 


THE    WHITE    RACE. 


retained  my  notice.    Here  were  Mussulmans,  Bosniaks,  Fandours 
f^iarding  the  market,  their  attitudes  and  costumes  carrying  me 


'BOSK  UK    MBBCHAKT. 


right  away  to  the  East,  and  recalling  very  old  recollections.    One 
of  them  wore  a  vhite  turban,  which  displayed  a  husb  of  plaited 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  145 

hair  falling  down  his  neck ;  he  stood  erect,  his  hand  supporting  the 
butt  end  of  his  gun,  which  rested  on  his  shoulder.  A  tapestried 
mantle,  adorned  with  long  flocks  of  wool,  which  is  pecuUar  to  the 
frontiers  of  the  two  coimtries,  was  thrown  over  his  shoulders.  At 
his  side  was  another  Bosniak,  who  leant  against  a  wall,  clad  in  a 


long  cloak  of  red  wool ;  Ms  feet  were  shod  with  Randals  of  tanned 
leather.  Here  a  rich  landoi\Tier  of  the  neiglibouihood,  whose 
name  I  really  foi^et,  was  causing  his  servants  to  remove  the  cattle 
he  had  not  succeeded  in  selling;  there  peasants  were  remount- 
ing their  horses,  whose  gay  and  picturesijue  harness  I  much 
admired." 

Figures  59  and  60  represent,  according  to  11.  Perrot,  a  Bosniok 
peasant  m&n  and  woman,  and  figure  61,  a  Bosniak  merchant. 
The  Magyars  are  the  natives  of  Hungary.     The  chief  population 


148  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

of  this  coontry  is  composed  of  a  people  wlio  ■  came  from  Asia 
under  the  atanej)!  Magj'ars,  and  who  were,  it  would  seem,  a  tribe 
of  the  Huns.  HnQgary  is  believed  to  have  been  popnlated  by 
some  of  tlie  savage  compaQions  of  Attila,  tlie  terrible  king  of  the 
Huns,  known  as- the  "  Scoui^  of  God." 


The  Magyars  are  diHtinct  from  other  people  hi  their  language 
and  costumes. 

'i'hey  are  of  medium  height,  with  black  hair.  Their  character 
is  warlike,  and  their  state  of  civilization  is  superior  to  that  of  the 
otiier  branches  of  the  Slavonian  family. 

In  his  "  Causeries  Gdographiquea,"  (from  Paris  to  Bucharest,) 
M.  Duruy  has  imparted  to  us  his  impressions  on  a  journey  to 
Pesth  in  1861.     The  population  appeared  to  him  superb. 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH. 


The  women  were  remorkablo  tliroiigh  their  bri^litncsH   and 
decided  attrnctions.     In  dress,  tliey  do  not  dit&?r  much  from  tlie 


•    A  cliomise  giithcred  in  at  tlie  neck,  with  full  sleeves  richly 
Toiderpd.  ami  slightly  tightened   ut   the   wriBts,  which   are 


148 


THE    WHITE    RACE. 


covered  with  lace  ruffles ;  a  jncket  body,  eithei'  red,  black,  or 
green,  embroidered  at  the  back  mth  fringes  nnd  silver  buttons. 
Bets  off  a  slender  and  supple  form.  A  light,  very  ample,  but 
often  rather  short  petticoat ;  a  silken  or  velvet  scarf  thrown  over 
one  shoulder  iL  la  hussni'de ;  the  national  Iiigh  brimmed  hat  sur- 


mounted by  a  plume  of  feathers  as  head-dress  ;  well  turned  feet 
and  ankles,  in  embroidered  shoes,  or  sometimes  in  little  spurred 
boots  of  red  morocco,  form  the  Hungaiian  costume,  represented 
in  figs,  68,  64  and  65. 

The  markets  wliich  are  held  on  tlie  quays,  have  also  peculiar 
features.  You  see  there,  says  M.  Duruy,  gi-onps  wldcli  call  to 
mind  the  savage  hordes  of  Attila.  M.  Duruy  almost  believed  he 
saw  one  of  the  companions  of  the  "  Scourge  of  God."  This  was 
apparently  a  kind  of  peasant,  flat-nosed,  round-eyed,  with  lai^e 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  149 

projecting  cheekbones,  and  hanging  mustachios.  He  was  dark, 
and  dressed  in  a  vest  of  sheepskin,  and  breeches  of  coarse  cloth, 
supported  at  the  waist  by  a  scarf  falling  over  his  heavily-shod 
and  spurred  boots.  A  large  hat,  with  the  edges  turned  up,  covered 
his  head,  and  beneath  it  hung  two  long  plaits  of  hair.  The 
Magyar  language  is  energetic,  full  of  similes,  and  filled  with 
guttural  aspirations  which  seem  derived  from  the  Arabic,  while 
certain  soft  and  caressing  intonations  remind  us  of  the  Italian 
idiom*  National  feeling  is  brisk  in  the  towns  and  throughout 
the  country.  In  the  latter,  it  is  kept  alive  by  Bohemian  songs, 
and  by  stories  told  by  the  heads  of  families  during  the  long 
winter  evenings. 

About  the  other  races  composing  the  Slavonian  family,  namely, 
the  Croats,  the  Tchecks,  the  Lithuanians,  and  the  Poles,  we 
have  nothing  particular  to  remark. 

In  general,  what  we  have  said  at  the  commencement  of  this 
chapter,  applies  to  them  with  but  little  modification. 


Thk  Greek  Family. 

The  Greek  family  comprises  the  Greeks  and  the  Albanians. 
These  races  derive  their  origin  from  the  ancient  tribes  known 
under  the  name  of  Pelasgians.  The  ancient  Greeks  founded 
many  colonies  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediten^anean. 

In  the  fourth  centmy  before  Cln-ist,  led  by  Alexander,  they 
subdued  part  of  Asia,  and  cai'ried  their  victorious  anns  into 
Egypt.  But  these  conquests  were  ephemeral.  The  Greek  empire 
was  in  its  turn  subjugated  by  other  races,  of  whom  the  principal 
were  the  Romans,  the  Slavonians,  and  the  Scythians. 

In  the  present  day  the  Greeks  compose  but  a  scanty  population, 
concentrated  in  the  Morea,  or  scattered  in  the  neighbouring 
districts.  The  majority  of  the  people  of  this  race  who  inhabit 
the  Asiatic  continent  have  adopted  even  the  language  of  their 
neighbours,  and  are  merely  reputed  Greeks  because  they  profess 
the  Greek  form  of  the  Chinstian  religion. 

The  ancient  Greeks,  civilized  by  intercom'se  with  Egyptian 
colonists,  already  afforded  an  example  of  advanced  culture,  at  a 
time  when  the  other  European  and  Asiatic  nations  were  still 
immersed  in  barbarism. 

In  spite  of  the  misfortunes  of  a  social    decay    destined  to 


150  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

terminate  in  many  centimes  of  subjection,  the  Greeks  have 
preserved  up  to  our  own  day  the  physical  characteristics  of  their 
ancestors.  Everyone  knows  that  the  most  beautiful  development 
of  the  brow,  the  finest  shape  of  the  human  head,  is  that  we  find 
traced  m  the  sculpture  of  ancient  Greece.  It  had  been  supposed 
that  the  magnificent  heads  with  the  noble  outlines,  admired  in 
the  statues  of  the  Greeks,  were  not  the  exact  reproduction  of 
nature,  and  that  some  features  had  been  exaggerated  in  the 
direction  of  ideal  beauty.  But,  in  our  own  day,  the  skulls  of 
ancient  Greeks  have  been  found  whose  proportions  and  whose 
general  outlines  demonstrate,  that,  among  the  artists  of  ancient 
Greece,  sculpture  did  not  surpass  nature,  but  restricted  its 
inspiration  to  types  who  actually  lived. 

The  Apollo  Belvidere  can  therefore  be  considered  as  a  model, 
but  slightly  idealized  by  art,  of  the  general  physiognomy  of  the 
ancient  Greeks.  In  liis  **  Travels  in  the  Morea,"  M.  Pouqueville 
gives  a  description  of  the  i)hysiognomy  of  the  present  Greeks, 
which  enables  us  to  judge  of  the  surprising  persistence  of  the 
most  beautiful  types,  even  in  the  midst  of  a  social  condition  so 
deeply  modified. 

**  The  inhabitants  of  the  Morea,"  says  M.  Pouqueville,  "  are 
generally  tall  and  wxll  made.  Their  eyes  are  full  of  fire,  their 
mouth  is  admirably  well  formed  and  full  of  the  most  beautiful 
teeth.  The  women  of  Sparta  are  fair,  slender,  and  dignified  in 
carriage.  The  women  of  Taygetus  have  the  gait  of  Pallas  .  •  .  . 
The  Messenian  girl  is  conspicuous  for  her  jilumpness ;  she  has 
regular  features,  large  eyes,  and  long  black  hair ;  the  damsel  of 
Arcadia,  hidden  under  her  coarse  woollen  garments,  scarcely 
allows  the  regularity  of  her  figure  to  be  perceived  .  .  .  ." 

Here,  besides,  ai-e  the  characteristics  displayed  in  their  sculp- 
ture, and  which,  according  to  what  we  have  said,  may  really  be 
considered  those  of  the  Greek  type. 

A  high  forehead,  rather  a  wide  distance  between  the  eyes,  with 
tlie  slightest  possible  depression  at  the  top  of  the  nose ;  this 
last  straight  or  shghtly  aquiline ;  large  eyes,  opening  widely  and 
surmoimted  by  a  scarcely  arched  eyebrow ;  a  short  upper  lip,  a 
small  or  mediima  sized  mouth  delicately  cut ;  and  a  prominent 
and  well  rounded  chin. 

Fig.  66  represents  the  Greeks  of  Athens ;  fig.  67  a  Greek  family 
and  the  interior  of  a  house  at  Athens. 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH. 


151 


To  give  an  idea  of  modem  Greek  mannei-s  and  types,  we  will 
borrowafewlinesfroniaiimteresting  work  by  M.  Prout,  "Journey 
to  Athens,"  published  in  "  Le  Tour  du  Monde  "  in  1862.     Let 


6G. — ORBEH^   OF   ATIIIENS. 


US  first  listen  to  this  traveller  speaking  to  us  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Greece : — 

"  If  FaUmeseyer  is  to  be  believed,  tliere  are  no  more  Greeks  in 
Greece,  only  Slavonians ;  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  the  inhabitants 


153  THE    WHITE    RACK 

of  Thrace  and  of  Macedonia  cannot  boast  so  immaculate  an  origin 
as  the  mountaineers  of  01}Tnpus  or  of  Magnus ;  but  it  is  equally 
certain  that  from  Cape  Malea  to  the  Black  Sea,  and  from  Smyrna 
to  Corfu,  there  are  ten  million  indi^dduals  who  speak  Greek,, 
mixed  up  with  a  population  speaking  Slavonic,  and  that  in  the 
plains  of  Athens,  we  easily  distinguish  the  Albanian  with  the 
narrow  temples  and  the  prominent  nose,  from  the  Greek  with  the 
wide  forehead  and  the  high  cheek-bones,  although  their  dress  is. 
exactly  the  same.  To  converse  for  an  hour  with  the  latter  is 
sufficient  to  satisfy  all  doubt  as  to  the  authenticity  of  his 
origin. 

**  His  qualities  of  mind  have  remained  the  same  as  in  the  days  of 
Homer:  he  has  stiU  the  same  aptitude  for  thorough  and  rapid 
comprehension,  the  same  facility  of  graceful  and  metaphorical 
expression.  These  qualities  give  to  tlie  Greeks  so  great  a 
superiority  over  the  other  races  of  tlie  East,  that  they  are  liked 
by  none  of  them.  The  Turks  reproach  them  with  being 
suspicious  and  dissimulating,  because  they  have  opposed  craft  to 
force ;  the  Levantines  accuse  them  of  dishonesty  in  commercial 
transactions,  because  they  themselves  have  taken  lessons  of  them^ 
and  have  often  surpassed  their  instructors. 

"  There  is  no  greater  bond  of  sympathy  between  them  and  the 
other  nations  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  Serious  and 
deliberate  in  disposition,  the  tone  of  their  mind  is  foreign  alike  to 
raillery  and  to  the  rapidity  of  dramatic  intensity.  Their  grief 
pursues  a  peaceful  and  elegiac  course  ;  it  is  with  them  a  latent 
sorrow,  and  not  a  sharp  crisis  leading  to  the  ecstasies  of  madness* 
Whilst  Cupid's  weapons,  in  Naples  or  in  Venice  for  instance, 
inflict  terrible  wounds,  the  arrows  of  the  Athenian  god  neither 
keep  his  victims  from  repose  nor  from  the  pursuit  of  business. 
The  Greeks  have  preserved  their  tragic  intonation,  and  are 
the  true  children  of  that  wild  Orestes  who  died  at  more  than 
eighty  years  of  age  from  the  effects  of  an  accident.  In  their 
minds,  action  always  takes  its  course  with  deliberation  and 
gravity,  not  without  a  certain  amount  of  colouring,  but  never 
widely  straying  from  reality;  interrogating  and  holding  council 
with  itself,  and  taking  time  for  reflection  before  making  ita 
decision. 

*'It  is  astonishing  to  meet  with  these  analytical  and  foreseeing 
tendencies,  even  among  the  most  ignorant.    Above  alienations 


i 

W^^^fl 

^^^^B^    .^           '^^^D 

u 

g^J^^ 

ell 

i 

4 

^#^ 

1^ 

^^"    .  ^ 

aPlM      »^>        ^'^^H 

4i 

'^"%v               '"*'. 

^k^^ 

^ 

^^ 

^. 

-"-'^^--^'^' 

fe^L 

164  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

they  best  understand  the  art  of  listening,  and  whilst  saying  a  great 
deal  are  the  smallest  talkers  in  the  world. 

"  Everybody  is  famihar  with  the  Greek  dress  :  the  short 
pelisse,  the  skirt,  which  goes  by  the  name  of  fystan,  the  small  fez 
with  its  tufted  tassel  falling  on  the  nape  of  the  neck  of  the  wearer, 
and  the  embroidered  gaiter  fitting  tight  to  the  leg.  The  sailors, 
instead  of  the  fystan,  wear  a  very  wide  pair  of  trousers,  and 
stockings  instead  of  gaiters.  In  winter  the  talagani,  a  long 
close-fitting  cloak  of  lambskin,  is  added  to  the  rest  of  the  dress. 
The  Greeks,  generally  speaking,  tall  slender  men  of  regular 
features,  wear  this  national  costume  in  a  very  dashing  manner^ 
Young  Greece  carries  its  dandyism  a  little  to  extremes  by  over 
pinching  its  waist,  and  exaggerating  the  width  of  its  skirts. 
During  the  winter  of  1858  it  was  the  fashion  to  wear  the  entire 
beard.  I  trust  that  this  fancy,  which  gave  them  the  appearance 
of  sappers  in  petticoats,  has  disappeared ;  the  finely  trimmed 
mustachios,  revealing  the  lips,  are  better  suited  to  their 
delicately  chiselled  features  as  well  as  to  then*  refined  and 
fanciful  style  of  dress.  But  alas  !  Athens  eveiy  day  sees  the 
pure  gold  of  its  ancient  costume  bartered  for  the  dross  of  modern 
broadcloth  fresh  from  the  shelves  of  the  tailor's  shop.  Athens 
now  boasts  seventy  tailors  and  fifty  shoemakers  who  make  in  the 
French  style,  whilst  only  six  of  the  former,  and  three  of  the 
latter  still  work  in  the  spirit  of  their  national  ti*aditions.  There 
are  sixty-two  shops  for  the  sale  of  female  attire,  but  only  three  or 
four  ladies  are  to  be  seen  still  faithful  to  their  national  dress  (I 
except  the  maids  of  honom-  to  the  Queen,  who  wear  it  by  order), 
and  even  in  their  case  one  half  has  disappeared.  The  corsage 
cut  down  upon  the  neck  and  the  taktikios  (cap)  of  Smyrna  stiU 
remain ;  but  the  long  narrow  skirt  has  allowed  itself  to  become 
swollen  by  the  insinuating  arts  of  conspiring  crinoline.  The 
style  of  dress  in  the  islands  is  more  commonplace,  but  the  great 
quantity  of  garments  worn  one  over  the  other  remind  one  of  the 
childish  simplicity  of  the  outlines  of  our  own  peasant  women«  I 
much  prefer,  in  spite  of  its  stifihess,  the  long  Albanian  robe  worn 
by  the  women  of  the  interior, 

''  It  is  particularly  at  Agora  that  specimens  of  all  the  peasantry 
of  the  neighbourhood  may  be  seen  walking  about  in  their 
picturesque  costumes. 

*'This  Agora  is  not  tlie  ancient  Agora  of  Ceramica;  it  is  a 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  155 

market-place,  composed  of  worm-eaten  sheds  roofed  in  with 
ragged  cloths,  in  which  are  exhibited  produce  of  all  sorts,  &om 
the  bursting  figs  of  Asia  Minor  to  the  patent  preparations  of 
Parisian  perfumers. 

**  On  each  side  of  tliis  market-place  stands  a  spectre  of 
antiquity,  the  tower  of  the  Winds,  or  clepsydrum  of  Andro- 
nicus,  an  octagonal  monument  engraved  with  passably  mediocre 
figures,  and  the  portico  of  Minerva  Archigetis.  Archaeologists 
after  noticing  the  first,  hasten  across  the  spacious  vestibule  to 
visit  the  second,  but  those,  who  are  indiflerent  alike  to  the 
criticisms  of  Martins  and  of  Leake,  i)refer  to  pause  on  the 
threshold  of  the  mai'ket,  ^particularly  in  the  early  morning  when 
the  peasantry, 

'  Seated  in  their  chariots  of  Homeric  pattern, 

Like  the  ancient  Isis  on  the  basso-relievos  of  Egina/ 

pour  in  from  tlie  liighways  from  Thebes  and  ^larathon.  I  have 
said  tliat  the  men  were  distinguished  for  regulai*  symmetry  of 
countenance ;  but  the  peasant  women  are  simply  ugly.  Of 
middle  height,  robust,  and  sunburnt,  they  have  no  feminine 
attributes,  in  the  meaning  we  give  to  the  word.  In  commercial 
circles  and  among  the  Phanariots,  who  come  principally  from 
Asia,  where  the  race  has  remained  pure,  there  are,  on  the 
contrary,  many  really  beautiful  women  to  be  seen.  Oriental 
languor  gives  them  a  charm  unknown  in  our  country ;  but  they 
walk  badly,  and  are  wanting  in  that  elegance  of  style  which 
French  women  possess  in  such  a  high  degree. 

**  They  are  rarely  to  be  seen  walking  out,  they  seldom  leave 
their  houses  where  they  busy  themselves  with  domestic  occupa- 
tions, and  employ  their  leisure  in  reading  romances,  principaUy 
translated  from  the  French. 

**  Although  class  distinctions  are  graduaUy  disappearing,  there 
are  stiU  in  Athens  two  distinct  sets  of  society ;  the  Phanariot, 
and  the  Greek,  prgperly  so  called;  the  first  already  quite 
Europeanized,  the  second  on  the  high  road  to  become  so. 
The  Phanariot  ladies  are  weU  educated  and  speak  French 
admirably.  The  others,  whose  information  is  extremely  limited, 
have  an  instinctive  good  sense  and  a  tact  never  at  fault,  by  no 
means  one  of  the  least  subjects  of  surprise  to  foreigners.  ^\ 

^    I  have  heard  it  said  that  the  price  of  the  honesty 


«    • 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH.  157 

of  an  English  trader  was  a  hundred  pounds  sterling,  and  that 
that  of  his  Greek  brother  was  less.  Both  are  absurd  state- 
ments. It  is  impossible  to  draw  a  hard  and  fast  line  in  such 
matters  ;  opportunity  makes  the  thief  Strangers  are  every- 
where the  natural  prey  of  tlie  sharper,  but  not  more  so  at 
Athens  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  The  only  difference 
is  that  in  that  city  they  are  more  easily  taken  in,  on  account  of 
the  complication  of  the  currency,  this  complication  being  another 
instance  of  Bavarian  error.  Rotlischild  made  an  offer  to  the 
council  of  regency  to  effect  a  loan  payable  in  coin  similar  to  that 
struck  at  the  French  mint.  The  council  decided  that  it  was 
more  ingenious,  and  above  all  more  archaic,  to  shut  theii'  eyes  to 
all  known  standards,  and  to  reintroduce  the  drachma  with  its 
ancient  weight.  These  badly  executed  coins  were  exported  in 
ingots,  and  hopeless  calculations  about  the  smallest  transaction 
are  the  result ;  calculations  in  which  the  Austrian  coins,  ugly  and 
disagreeable  to  tlie  touch,  play  the  piincipal  jmil,  to  be  finally 
parted  with,  with  a  sense  of  relief,  to  the  trader,  to  whatever 
nation  he  may  happen  to  belong. 

**  To  have  done  with  the  subject  of  Greek  probity,  which  has 
been  so  much  called  into  question ;  in  tlie  comitry  the  inhabi- 
tants  are  avaricious  because  they  are  poor,  but  they  are  honest. 
Travellers  who  jump  to  a  conclusion  fi'om  tlieir  experience  of 
inn-keepers,  porters,  cabmen,  etc.,  come  to  a  wrong  decision. 
These  classes  are  everywhere  the  same.  In  Athens  alone  a 
remarkable  self-possession,  with  a  dignified  manner,  is  found, 
instead  of  the  familiar  unpudence  of  ItaUan  facchini,  or  the 
deceitful  suavity  of  German  attendants.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  one  is  never  assailed  in  the  streets  with  the  importunit}'^  of 
beggars.  These  are  few  in  number,  for  with  the  Greeks  it  is  a 
sacred  family  duty  to  assist  its  impoverished  members,  and  the 
few  that  do  beg,  shrink  from  i)ublicity.  Tlie  streets  of  Athens 
have  a  peculiar  physiognomy.  The  stranger  notices  there  neither 
the  noisy  disturbance  of  the  highways  of  Naples,  nor  the 
methodical  activity  of  those  of  London.  They  are  rather  to  be 
compared' with  those  of  some  of  the  jirovincial  towns  of  France, 
where  the  leisured  citizens  sti*oll  about,  and  retail  to  one  another 
the  gossip  of  the  hour,  remaining  apparently  permanent  fixtures 
of  the  pavement.  Athens  has,  on  the  whole,  the  appearance  of  a 
city  where  time  dies  hai*d ;  tlie  male  population  encamp  them- 


168  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

selves  during  the  day  in  the  sunshine  of  the  streets ;  the  shop* 
keepers  while  away  the  hours,  one  foot  within,  and  the  other 
without  their  doorsill ;  and  their  customers  intermingle  the 
tedious  arithmetic  of  barter  with  familiar  conversation,  or  button- 
hole the  passer  to  gossip  about  the  mutual  acquaintance  that  has 
just  passed.  Alexander's  establishment,  amongst  others,  is  one 
of  the  principal  head-quarters  of  news. 

"  Linger  for  an  hour  in  front  of  the  cafe  of  Beautiful  Greece, 
where  Hermes  Street  and  Eolus  Street  intersect  one  another, 
you  will  see  the  whole  Athenian  world  pass  before   you ;  the 
nearest  lounger  will   tell  you  their  names.      Here  comes,  the 
politician  who  is  still  in  the  market,  there  goes  the  statesman 
who  has  already  obtained   his   price.     That  is  Canaris,  whose 
reputation  is  European,  although  his  person  is  so  pimy:  there 
are    Chriesis,   Metaxas,    Mavrocordato,    Rangabe,   Miaouli,   the 
celebrities   of   yesterday  and  to-day.      This    man,   treading   as 
gingerly  as  if  he  stepped  upon  eggs,  and  throwing  uneasy  glances 
around  him,  is  a  Chiotian.     As  he  passes,  your  cicerone  scowls, 
for  the  Chiotians  are   not   exactly  beloved.     Popular   tradition 
declares  that  the  Island  of  Scios  was  formerly  settled  by  Jews,  but 
this  is  erroneous,  although  the  Chiotians  have  a  Jewish  appear- 
ance, and,  like  the  children  of  Israel,  are  very  successful  in  banking 
and  commerce.     Commercial  aptitude  has  always  been,  in  ancient 
times  as  well  as  to-day,  the  basis  of  the  national  character  of 
the  Chiotian.     *  Two  reasons,'  says  M.  Lacroix,  *  explain   this 
tendency.      The  position  of  Scios,  situated  in  the  midst  of  the 
sea,  between  Europe  and  Asia,  upon  the  great  maritime  highway 
of  ancient  commerce,  naturally  disposed  its  inhabitants  to  become 
traders ;   while  the  nature  of  their  island,  whose  stony  soil  is 
little  suited  to  agriculture,  rendered  such  a  means  of  livelihood  in 
part  a  necessity  to  them.' 

"  As  the  trader  of  Scios  can  be  recognised  by  his  appearance, 
so  the  Ionian  islander  can  be  distinguished  by  his  speech.  The 
torrent  of  his  eloquence  is  heard  towering  above  the  voices  of  every 
group.  I  have  a  great  admiration  for  the  lonians.  I  do  not  say 
that  human  perfection  is  to  be  found  in  these  numerous  islands^ 
but  wonderful  natural  qualities,  in  unison  with  the  healthy  civiliza- 
tion bequeathed  to  them  by  the  Italian  republics,  are  to  be  seen 
there.  It  is  but  the  other  day  that  the  ingenious  combination  of 
Mr.  Gladstone   gave   Europe   an   idea  of  the   dignity  of  their 


160  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

chai'acter,  the  extent  of  their  patriotism,  and  the  wisdom  of  their 
mind.  To  this  Greek  good  sense  tliey  add  the  fire  of  the  Italian* 
Active,  intelligent,  good  hearted  and  honest  in  their  dealings, 
tliey  attract  at  once  the  sjinpatliies  of  all. 

*'  This  admixture  of  which  the  Athenian  population  is  composed 
is  a  cmious  study. 

"  On  the  Sunday,  everybody  leaves  the  cross  roads  in  front  of 
the  Beautiful  Greece  to  frequent  the  esplanade  of  Patissia  (a  cor- 
ruption from  Pachiscliah) ;  the  men  stroll  about  talking  together, 
and  the  women,  abandoning  their  household  gods  for  this  day 
only,  follow  a  few  paces  beliind  them.  The  crowd  walks  round 
and  round  a  kiosk  till  a  militar}'  band  placed  there  has  finished 
playing,  and  then  goes  home ;  not  into  the  house,  however,  but 
into  the  streets,  for  during  the  warai  summer  nights  nearly  eveiy- 
bod}-  sleeps  al  fresco.  These  sleepers  adveilise  their  presence 
by  a  continual  hum,  which  is  a  kind  of  internal  monologue,  an 
echo  of  the  day's  convei^sation,  for  the  Greeks  still  remain  the 
wittiest  and  the  most  eloquent  cliatterei*s  in  the  world." 

"We  place  side  by  side  with  the  Greeks  the  Albanians,  whose 
language  has  some  relation  to  Greek.  Concentrated  in  the 
mountains  of  their  country,  they  appear  to  be  the  lineal  represent- 
atives of  the  ancient  inliabitants  of  these  districts.  They  are  the 
descendimts  of  the  ancient  Hlpdans,  mixed  up  with  the  Greeks 
and  tlie  Slavonians.  Restricting  themselves  almost  exclusively 
to  the  profession  of  anus,  the  Albanians  constitute  the  best 
soldiers  of  the  Ottoman  ai-my.  Their  ninnbers  scarcely  reach 
two  milUons,  altliough  Albania  is  of  gi'eat  extent  and  contains 
several  rather  important  towns. 

Albania,  pait  of  Turkey  in  Europe,  boimded  on  the  north  by 
Montenegro,  Bosnia,  and  Sema,  on  the  east  by  Macedon  and 
Thessaly,  on  the  soutli  by  the  kingdom  of  Greece,  on  the  west 
by  the  Adriatic  and  I(mian  seas,  constitutes  the  pachaliks  of 
Janina,  Ilbessan  and  Scutari.  It  possesses  three  seaports, 
Durazzo,  Avlona,  and  Parga.  The  most  important  towns  are 
Scutari,  Akhissar,  Berat,  and  Arta. 

Semi-barbai'ians,  pailaking  more  of  the  pirate  and  the  brigand 
than  of  tlie  cultivator  and  the  labourer,  the  Albanians  pass 
tlieir  lives  in  a  state  of  petty  warfare  among  tliemselves. 

They  professed  Chiistianity  up  to  the  fifteenth  century,  but 
after  having  under  Scanderbeg  gloriously  resisted  the  Turkish 


WHITE  OR  CAUCASIAN  RACE 


EUROPEAN    BRANCH. 


70. — Al,B4NlAit    1 


invasion,  they  were  forced  to  submit  to  the  victorious  Ottomans, 
who  compelled  the  Albanians  to  embrace  the  reUgion  of  Mahomet. 


1B2  THE    WHITE   RACE. 

lu  some  parts  of  Albania  tbe  Greek  church  still  surviTes.  In 
the  north,  between  the  sea  and  the  black  Drin,  the  courageous 
tribe  of  the  Mirdites  practise  the  Roman  Cathohc  religion  and 
enjoy  liberty. 

Fig.  70  represents  the  Albanian  costume. 


'■rru/^y'- 


CHAPTER  n. 

ARAMEAN    BRANCH. 

CuviER  has  thought  fit  to  give  the  name  of  Aramean  (derived 
from  the  ancient  appellation  of  Syria)  to  the  race  of  people  who 
inhabit  the  south-west  of  Asia  and  the  north  of  Africa.  Since 
primeval  historic  times,  the  Aramaic  race  developed  itself  in  the 
south-west  of  Asia  and  the  north  of  Afiica,  and  it  has  remained 
there  up  to  our  own  day.  It  also  extended  its  settlements  to  the 
south  of  Eui'ope,  where  it  became  assimilated  to  the  inhabitants 
of  that  part  of  the  world. 

At  a  period  when  Europeans  were  immersed  in  the  depths  of 
ignorance,  the  Arameans  successfully  cultivated  science  and  art. 
But  lat«r,  whilst  progi-ess  was  making  rapid  strides  amongst  the 
Westerns,  the  Arameans  on  the  contrary  came  to  a  halt ;  so  that 
the  civilization  of  these  Asiatic  races  is  still  pretty  much  the 
same  as  it  was  two  thousand  years  ago. 

Christianity  sprang  up  amidst  the  Arameans,  but  it  made  few 
converts.  Mahometanism  and  Buddhism  attracted  nearly  the 
whole  of  this  numerous  race. 

Four  leading  divisions  are  recognised  among  the  Arameans : 
the  Libyans,  the  Semitics,  tlie  Persians,  and  the  Georgians  and 
Circassians. 


The  Libyan  Family. 

The  Libyan  Family  is  composed  of  the  Berbers  and  the 
Egyptians* 

The  Berbers. — The  Berbers  are  the  race  which  from  very 
ancient  times  inhabited  the  mountains  of  the  Atlas  chain,  or 
wandered  amidst  the  deserts  of  the  Sahara.  The  Berbers  are 
split  up  into  a  great  number  of  tribes,  of  whom  the  four  prin- 
cipal are,  the  Kabyles,  the  Sheilas,  the  Touariks  and  the  Tibbous. 

H  2 


ARAMEAN    BRANCH.  166 

The  traveller  in  Kabylia  is  struck  with  admiration,  for  its  lofty 
mountains,  the  gentle  and  pleasing  undulations  of  its  plains,  and 
its  valleys  interlaced  with  the  windings  of  countless  streams.  Its 
inhabitants  are  pastoral,  agiicultural,  and  laborious.  The  head- 
dress of  their  women  is  fashioned  to  suit  theii*  habit  of  carrying 
on  their  head  jars  of  great  weight.  They  balance  these  by  rigidly 
straightening  their  waists,  round  which  they  wind,  some  score  of 
times,  a  girdle  of  coai*se  woollen  cords.  Their  gannent  is  simply 
a  piece  of  woollen  cloth  fastened  together  by  a  couple  of  pins  over 
the  bosom. 

The  Kaybles  are  not,  lilce  the  real  Arabs,  nomadic.  They 
remain,  on  the  contrary,  faithful  to  one  spot.  Whilst  the  Arab 
inhabits  a  tent,  removable  at  will,  and  in  accordance  with  the 
requirements  of  his  family,  the  Kabyle  lives  in  a  stone  dwelling, 
and  his  homestead  is  a  regular  village.  In  truth,  the  Kabyle  is 
not  an  Arab ;  he  is  of  African  origin,  a  Berber,  somewhat 
modified  by  the  different  races  that  have  in  tmn  settled  on  the 
African  shores  of  the  MediteiTanean,  but  whose  customs  and 
physical  characteristics  liave  always  remained  the  same. 

The  Roman  armies  subdued  the  Kabyles  dwelluig  on  the 
Mediterranean  coasts,  and  di'ove  them  into  the  mountains.  The 
principal  aim  of  the  successive  Eoman  governors  in  Africa,  was  to 
drain  the  countr}-  of  its  resources  to  supply  the  insatiable  require- 
ments of  Rome,  and  the  extravagant  liberahty  continually  lavished 
on  its  citizens  by  the  Emperors  of  this  capital  of  tlie  world. 
Rome  thus  accepted  from  Africa  but  slaves  and  labourers.  Those 
of  the  conquered,  who  were  imwilling  to  pass  under  the  heavy 
joke  of  the  Roman  governors,  abandoned  the  plains  and  retired  to 
the  mountains,  inaccessible  retreats,  whose  ravines  and  forests 
offered  innumerable  obstacles  to  the  cruelty  of  centurions,  and 
the  rapacity  of  praetors.  At  a  future  period,  led  by  enterprising 
chieftains,  they  sallied  foii;h  from  these  natural  fortresses  to 
assail  and  ultimately  to  definitively  repulse  the  Roman  power. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  Kabylia  of  to-day,  and  of  its  organization, 
we  will  quote  a  few  details  from  "An  Excui-sion  to  great  Kabyha," 
published  in  1867,  in  "  Le  Tour  du  Monde,'*  from  the  pen  of 
Commandant  Duhousset,  an  officer  in  the  French  army. 

"In  Kabylia,"  he  says,  "the  household  composed  of  the 
members  of  one  family  is  termed  kharouba;  each  kharouba 
forming  part  of  the  village  or  deheray  elects  one  of  its  members  as 


166  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

a  dhaman  to  represent  it  at  the  municipal  council,  and  to  defend 
its  interests :  in  a  word,  to  be  responsible  for  it. 

"  The  diflferent  deheras  are  further  united  together  under  the 
name  of  arch. 

**  In  each  village  authority  is  administered  by  an  amin,  elected 
by  turns  from  each  kharouba.  It  is  the  duty  of  this  official  to 
watch  over  the  execution  of  the  written  laws,  drawn  up  under  the 
name  of  khanoun,  and  which  are  merely  the  recital  of  the  customs 
handed  down  from  time  immemorial  in  Kabylia. 

"  The  amin  can  pronounce  no  judgment,  inflict  no  fine, 
without  consulting  the  assembly  (djemaa)  of  his  assistants  op 
dhamans,  always  chosen  from  the  notabilities  of  the  village. 
This  tribunal  chooses  a  secretary  (khodja)  intrusted  with  the  duty 
of  keeping  a  public  register  of  its  deliberations,  and  of  carrying  on 
all  correspondence  with  the  French  authorities.  The  labours  of 
the  khodja  are  remunerated  with  perquisites  of  figs,  olives,  &c. 

"The  supreme  command  of  the  tribe  is  delegated  by  the  French 
to  an  amin-el'Oumena,  whose  principal  duty  is  the  superintend- 
ence of  his  tribe  in  all  matters  concerning  public  order.  He  is 
not  allowed  to  interfere  in  the  internal  policy  of  the  villages, 
which  govern  themselves,  each  according  to  its  own  interpretation 
of  the  khanoun. 

''  The  djemaa  possesses  a  mimicipal  fund,  kept  in  the  hands  of 
an  ouhil  (manager).  Tliis  fund  is  supplied  by  the  fines  inflicted 
by  the  municipal  council  and  the  native  officials,  and  by  the  rates 
levied  on  marriages,  births,  and  deaths. 

"  Each  village  is  divided  into  two  factions,  or  soff,  generally 
hereditary  foes.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  the  serious  nature  of  the 
outrages  on  public  tranquillity,  committed  by  these  irreconcilable 
neighbours,  when  their  mutual  interests  are  at  stake.'* 

The  elections  are  a  constant  source  of  disturbance  in  the 
Kabyle  villages. 

The  way  in  which  these  villages  ai'e  laid  out,  their  dwellings 
overlooking  one  another,  makes  these  stiniggles  very  sanguinary 
ones.  Some  of  the  more  lofty  houses  have  crenelated  parapets, 
the  remainder  are  loopholed,  and  the  djama  (mosque)  becomes, 
on  account  of  the  military  importance  of  its  upper  storey,  a 
regular  fortress,  assuring  the  victory  to  its  fortunate  possessors. 

Everybody  knows  that  the  French  conquered  Kabylia  in  1867. 
What  most  contributed  to  the  submission  of  the  Kabyles,  was  the 


ARAMEAN    BRANCH.  167 

promise  made  to  them  to  respect  their  customs  and  their 
communal  elections.  This  promise  was  kept,  and  the  respect 
shown  to  their  local  usages  not  a  little  contributed  to  consolidate 
the  French  conquest. 

The  Kabyle  villages,  seen  from  a  distance,  look  picturesque, 
but  on  mixing  with  their  inhabitants  and  entering  their  houses, 
the  charm  vanishes.  The  question  immediately  suggests  itself 
how  it  is  possible  for  any  human  beings  to  dwell  in  the  midst 
of  such  imiversal  neglect,  and  of  such  hideous  filth. 

"  Every  Kabyle,"  says  M.  Duliousset,  '*  is  revoltingly  dirty : 
there  are  no  baths  to  be  foimd  in  the  whole  of  Kabylia  of  the 
Djujina.  The  children  receive  no  care.  The  result  of  this 
neglect  is  frequent  ophthalmia,  sometimes  complete  blindness ; 
they  are  also  often  subject  to  cutaneous  diseases,  or  worse 
hereditary  affections,  which  these  mountaineers  hand  down  from 
generation  to  generation,  continuing  to  exist  in  spite  of  them 

the  women,  good  mothers  who  suckle  tlieir  children  up  to 

three  or  fom'  years  of  age  ....  tlie  men,  industrious  workmen 
and  good  agriculturists." 

The  Kabyles  are  independent  in  disposition,  obser\^ant  by 
natiu'e,  and  fond  of  labour:  but  they  are  inclined  to  be  avaricious, 
revengeful,  and  quarrelsome.  Some  of  their  villages,  as  we  have 
shown,  are  divided  into  two  hostile  camps,  and  in  many  cases, 
part  of  the  communal  land  is  set  apart  for  warlike  encounters, 
where  all  differences  are  settled  by  the  yataghan  and  the  match- 
lock.    Divorce  is  one  of  the  sores  of  Kabyle  society. 

It  is  well  known  that  Kabyha  is  a  rich,  tranquil  country, 
addicted  to  industry,  and  possessing  a  numerous  population. 
Bat  a  few  statistics  will  here  have  a  peculiar  interest. 

There  are  in  France  eight  departments  with  a  smaller  popula- 
tion than  Kabylia ;  these  are,  according  to  M.  Duhousset,  the 
Basses-Alpes,  the  Hautes-Alpes,  the  Cantal,  Corsica,  Lozere,  the 
Basses-Pyrenees,  the  Hautes-Pyrenees,  and  Tam-et-Garonne. 
Three  departments  are  smaller  in  extent ;  the  Rhone,  the  Seine, 
and  Vaucluse. 

The  average  population  of  France  is  67-i^innr  inhabitants  to 
every  square  kilometre ;  that  of  Kabylia  is  BT-iVinr-  Looking, 
however,  at  the  average  population  to  every  kilometre  in  each 
separate  department,  it  appears  that  twenty-eight  have  a  larger 
average  than  Kabylia,  one  an  equal,  and  fifty-seven  a  smaller  one. 


168  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

The  agricultural  productions  of  Kabylia  are  the  ordinary  fruits  of 
African  culture,  especially  the  fig  and  the  olive,  to  which  must  be 
added  large  crops  of  wheat.  Figs  are  the  principal  article  of  food 
of  the  inhabitants,  jind  olives  tlie  staple  of  their  agricultural 
industry. 

During  han^est-time  the  Kabyles  cover  their  heads  with  an  im» 
mense  straw  hat  of  a  pointed  shape,  with  a  huge  brim,  fourteen 
inches  in  width,  shading  theii*  face.  A  shirt,  leaving  the  arms  and 
legs  bare,  and  a  leather  apron,  similar  to  that  worn  by  our  black-^ 
smiths,  constitute  their  dress.  They  reap  their  com  and  barley 
in  small  handfuls  at  a  time,  and  very  close  to  the  ground,  with  a 
sickle.  The  tlu-ashing  and  winnowing  is  roughly  done  by  oxen. 
M.  Duhousset,  who  Avitnessed  the  harvest  and  the  grinding  of  the 
com,  gives  the  accompanying  sketch  (fig.  72)  of  the  Kabyle  flour- 
mills.  Their  oUve-mill  is  very  similar  to  that  used  in  the  south 
of  France,  only  their  giindstones  are  turned  by  women,  who  fill 
the  part  assigned  by  us  to  horses  or  to  a  steam-engine. 

In  Kabyha  particular  care  is  bestowed  on  the  cultivation  of 
the  fig,  the  principal  article  of  food  of  the  whole  coxmtry.     M. 
Duhousset  took  particular  notice  of  the  artificial  fecundation  of 
the  fig-tree,  a  curious  operation  totally  imknown  in  France. 

The  fig-tree,  as  well  as  the  date-tree,  is  artificially  fecundated 
in  Kabylia ;  in  the  case  of  the  latter  the  male  flower  is  merely 
superimposed  on  the  female  blossoms  to  impregnate  them ;  but 
with  the  former  it  is  insects  that  carry  the  fertilizing  dust.  This 
process  is  termed  caprijication. 

**  Caprification,"  says  M.  Duhousset,  **  has  been  practised  from 
time  immemorial  by  all  the  inhabitants  on  the  Mediterranean 
coast.  This  curious  and  important  process  seemed  to  me  to 
deserve  a  special  investigation.  I  have,  therefore,  collected  a 
quantity  of  more  or  less  plausible  details  and  explanations  of  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  carried  out,  and  the  advantages  derived 
from  this  mode  of  cultivation. 

**  The  dokhar  is  the  fruit  of  the  wild  fig-tree.  It  is  small,, 
flavourless,  and  bitter.  It  is  not  a  very  eatable  species,  and  is 
not  cultivated  for  the  sake  of  food.  It  is  precocious,  and  becomes 
ripe  when  the  other  figs,  still  green,  have  not  yet  attained  their 
maturity.  The  tree  which  produces  them — ^the  caper  fig-ti*ee — 
yields  two  or  three  crops  in  the  year  ;  but  it  is  only  the  first  that 
is  generally  Pftde  use  of. 


ARAMEAir    BRANCH.  160 

"When  quite  ripe,  the  dokhar  is  gathered,  and  arranged  in 
small  bunches  {moulak)  on  a  string.  These  strings  are  suspended 
to  the  boughs  of  the  female  fig-tree,  towards  the  eud  of  June  in 
the  plains,  towards  tlie  end  of  July  on  the  mountains.  From  the 
stem  of  each  dokhar,  ivhen  diy,  issue  a  quantity  of  small  winged 


F 

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^^3l 

insects,  which  introduce  themselves  into  the  fruit  on  the  tree, 
instil  a  new  life  into  it,  and  prevent  it  from  falling. 

"  These  insects,  agents  of  this  fecundation,  are  produced  and 
developed  in  the  fruit  of  the  wild  fig-tree,  and  leave  it,  as  soon  as 
arrived  at  maturity,  to  attach  themselves  to  the  female  fig-tree. 


170  THE    WHITE    RACE. 

Their  body  is  hairy,  like  that  of  the  bee,  which  is  known  to  fulfil 
an  analogous  mission  towards  certain  flowers. 

**  These  insects  are  of  two  kinds,  black  and  red.  The  first, 
smaller  than  the  second,  do  not  carry  like  the  latter  a  sting  in 
their  abdomen.  The  natives  assert  that  the  black  insect  alone 
plays  a  useful  i)art  in  the  caprification  of  the  fig — ^the  part 
played  by  the  wind,  the  bii'd,  or  the  hand  of  man  in  the  instance 
of  the  date.  A  long  experience  attributes  to  it  the  privilege  of 
preserving  the  figs  from  perishing  and  falling  before  they  have 
become  ripe.  This  custom  has  given  rise  to  the  well-known 
Kabyle  proverb,  'He  who  is  without  dokhar  is  without  figs.* 
The  abundance  of  figs  in  every  locality  and  imder  every  difference 
of  climate  depends  upon  that  of  the  dokhar.  •  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, the  latter,  although  plentifiil,  gives  birth  to  but  a  small 
number  of  these  preserving  insects,  as  in  1868,  when  tlie  crop 
was  poor,  the  dokhar  having  produced  but  few  insects. 

**  The  Kabyles  are  convinced  that  one  of  these  insects  can  pre- 
serve ninety-nine  figs,  but  that  the  hundreth  becomes  its  tomb. 
This  is  possibly  only  a  popular  prejudice ;  but  it  is  as  well  to  cite 
it.  Truth  among  primitive  people  becomes  sometimes  crystal- 
lized in  the  shape  of  a  superstition,  and  tlie  inexplicable  pervades 
everything. 

**  Caprification  takes  i)lace  at  least  once  a  year.  When  the 
dokhar  is  abundant  it  is  prudent  to  repeat  the  process  several 
times  at  slioil  intervals,  and  it  is  most  important  tliat  it  should 
be  performed  at  the  proper  moment,  either  in  the  autumn  or  in 
the  spring,  or  the  crop  may  become  seriously  endangered  and 
partly  lost. 

"  A  rule  generally  observ^ed  in  the  villages  where  the  dokhar 
flourishes,  is,  that  no  one  may  sell  it,  under  a  penalty  of  a  fine  of 
two  pounds,  to  a  stranger,  or  even  to  an  ally,  before  the  gardens 
of  his  own  locality  have  been  copiously  provided  with  the  lu'ecious 
preservative. 

"  Previous  to  our  rule  the  Kabyle  tribes  were  continually  at 
enmity  witli  one  another,  and  the  sale  of  the  dokhar  was  then 
suspended  and  forbidden  between  them.  As  the  fig  is  tlie  prin- 
cipal and  indispensable  food  of  the  inhabitants,  this  proliibitory 
measure  was  the  siurest  means  of  starving  the  enemy,  or  at  least 
of  occasioning  liim  serious  inconvenience.  It  is,  therefore,  pro- 
bable that  the  different  tribes  frequently  came  to  open  blows  in 


AEAMEAN    BRANCH.  171 

order  to  procure  by  bloodshed  what  they  were  unable  to  obtain 
by  purchase." 

Copper  and  iron  are  rather  abundantly  foimd  in  Kabylia,  and 
its  inhabitants  are  expert  in  extracting  these  metals  from  their 


ores.  However,  they  are  beginning  to  import  metal  goods  from 
Europe. 

With  tools  of  their  own  manufacture,  or  with  those  of  foreign 
importation,  the  Kabyles  make  a  great  many  useful  and  impor- 
tant articles.  Jewellers  and  armourers  are  frequently  found  in 
their  nUages. 

Fig.  78,  from  a  sketch  by  H.  Duhousset,  represents  the  work- 


172  THE   WHITE    RACK 

shop  of  a  Kabyle  jeweller.  The  lathe  of  the  Kabyle  workman  is 
used  to  make  the  wooden  vases  and  the  numerous  utensils  sold 
by  the  Kabyles  all  along  the  African  coast.  It  is  sufficiently 
noteworthy  that  the  Kabyle  turner  only  uses  the  vertical  lathe, 
and  seems  ignorant  of  the  horizontal  oHe  so  convenient  and  so 
generally  used  in  Europe. 

The  Sheilas  dwell  to  the  west  of  the  Atlas,  while  the  Kabyles 
are  found  to  the  east  of  these  mountains.  The  former  are  tillers 
of  the  soil,  laborious  and  i)oor.     They  are  generally  independents 

The  Touariks  are  a  people  distinct  from  the  two  preceding 
ones.  They  are  nomadic.  They  wander  in  the  deseii;  of  Sahara, 
and  make  continual  raids  into  Egypt  to  carry  oflF  slaves.  M^ 
Henri  Duveyiier,  who  has  published  a  detailed  accoimt  of  the 
Touariks  of  the  North,  declares  that  they  are  hospitable  and 
humane.  They  are  generally  considered  to  consist  of  rather 
formidable  tribes,  accustomed  to  scorn*  the  desert,  stop  caravans 
and  plunder  the  laggards^  At  any  rate,  it  is  a  known  fact  that  an 
ill-starred  traveller,  Miss  Tinne,  who  had  courageously  explored 
parts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  was  assassinated  in  the  desert  in  1869 
by  some  Touariks. 

In  French  Africa  the  generic  name  of  Moor  is  given  to  the 
Mussulman  population  (the  Turks  excepted)  inhabiting  Bai'bary 
and  Sahara ;  but  in  reality  this  name  is  only  rightly  applicable 
to  two  particular  classes.  The  first  of  these  is  partly  composed 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  ton^Tis,  often  supposed  to  be  the  descend- 
ants of  the  ancient  natives  of  the  country,  that  is  to  say  of  the 
Libyan  family,  but  seeming  on  the  contrary  to  be  piincipally  of 
Arab  origin.  The  second  comprises  the  tribes,  most  of  them 
nomadic,  who  dwell  in  the  south-west  of  Sahara,  and  who  belong 
to  either  the  Berber  or  the  Ai*ab  race. 

The  Egyptiuns.  We  now  proceed  to  speak  of  the  Egyptians, 
that  unchanging  race  which  seems  to  sliunber  on,  embalmed  on  a 
consei-vative  soil,  a  vast  hypogeum,  where,  for  thirty  centuries, 
generations,  both  of  human  beings  and  of  domestic  animals, 
have  succeeded  generations  without  any  perceptible  alteration. 
The  work    of   Herodotus,   the   dialogues  of  Lucian,   and  the 


ARAMEAN    BRANCH.  173 

writings  of  Ammianus  Marcellinus,  teach  us  that  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  similar  in  all  respects  to  those  of  our  own  day,  had  a 
brown  coloured  skin.  Two  contracts  of  sale,  dating  back  from 
the  time  of  Ptolem}-,  give  us  particulars  of  the  parties  to  it.  The 
vendor  is  called  fxeAayxpcoy  (dark  brown),  and  the  buyer  /xeXtxpwy 
(honey  coloured).  From  all  the  documents  and  evidence  we 
possess,  it  appears  that  several  varieties  in  the  colour  of  the  skin 
existed  among  the  ancient  Egyptians,  but  that  there  was  always 
one  predominant  hue.  Paintings  are  found  in  the  temples  and 
the  tombs,  where  the  persons  represented  have  a  copper  coloured, 
reddish,  or  light  chocolate  complexion.  The  faces  of  the  women 
are  sometimes  of  a  yellower  tint,  merging  into  fawn  colom\ 

Another  faithful  representation  of  the  features  of  the  ancient 
Egyptians  is  found  in  those  of  their  paintings  and  sculptures  that 
have  descended  to  our  ovm  time.  Their  physiognomy  shows  a 
peculiar  and  remarkable  type,  as  does  also  the  shape  of  their 
bodies.  According  to  Denon  (Travels  in  Eg}7)t),  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Pharaohs  had  full  but  refined 
and  voluptuous  figures,  cabn  and  serene  faces,  soft  and  rounded 
features,  long  ahnond  shaped  eyes,  half  closed,  languisliing,  and 
raised  at  the  outer  corner,  as  if  the  glare  and  heat  of  the  sun 
habitually  fatigued  them.  Round  cheeks,  thick  and  prominent 
lips,  a  large  but  smiling  mouth,  and  a  dark  reddish  copper  tinted 
complexion,  completed  the  peculiar  exin'ession  of  their  counte- 
nance. 

Blumenbach,  after  examining  a  lai'ge  number  of  mummies,  and 
comparing  them  with  the  productions  of  ancient  art,  established 
three  leading  types  of  ancient  Eg}T3tians,  including,  with  more  or 
less  deviation,  all  individual  casts  of  face ;  the  Ethiopian,  the 
Indian,  and  the  Berber  type.  The  fii*st  is  distinguished  by  a 
prominent  jaw  and  a  thick  lip,  by  a  broad  flat  nose,  and  by 
protruding  eyes.  This  type  coincides  with  the  description  given 
by  Herodotus  and  other  Greek  writers,  who  assign  to  the 
Egyptian  a  black  complexion  and  woolly  hair.  The  second  type 
is  widely  different.  The  nose  is  long  and  narrow,  the  eyelids  are 
thin,  long,  and  slanting  obliquely  from  the  top  of  the  nose 
towards  the  temples ;  the  ears  are  set  high  in  the  head,  the  body 
is  short  and  slight,  and  the  legs  are  very  long.  This  picture 
resembles  the  Hindoos  from  beyond  the  Ganges. 

Such  were  the  ancient  people  of  Egypt.    Its  inhabitants  of 


174  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

to-day  are  difficult  to  class  from  an  ethnographic  point  of  view. 
They  must  not  be  confoimded,  as  is  often  done,  with  the  Arab 
race.  The  present  Egyptians  are  the  old  indigenous  or  Berber 
race,  modified  by  its  fusion  with  new  elements.  This  old  indi- 
genous race  is  still  to  be  met  with  in  the  countrj'',  sparsely  strewn, 
but  quite  recognizable.  It  is  this  small  part  of  the  population 
wliich  bears  the  name  of  Kopts. 

The  Kopts,  a  race  preserved  by  their  religion  from  miscegena- 
tion, but  feebly  represent  the  primitive  Egjrptians ;  for  ancient 
Egypt  was  conquered  and  subjugated,  first  by  the  Arabs,  then  by 
the  Persians,  then  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  lastly  by 
the  Mussulmans. 

The  Kopts  (fig.  80)  are  generally  above  the  middle  height; 
they  are  robust  in  stature,  and  the  colour  of  their  skin  is  a  dull 
red.  They  have  a  broad  forehead,  a  rounded  chin,  full  cheeks,  a 
straight  nose  with  strongly  curved  nostrils,  large  brown  eyes,  a 
narrow  mouth  with  thick  lips  and  white  teeth,  high  projecting 
ears,  and  extremely  black  beards  and  eyebrows.  The  striking 
resemblance  of  the  Kopts  to  ancient  Egyptian  sculpture  is  a 
sufficient  proof  that  this  group  of  mankind  is  really  the  remnant 
of  the  ancient  stock  of  Egjrpt,  slightly  altered  by  mixture  with  the 
other  races  that  have  successively  occupied  their  country. 

The  Kopts  became  Christians  in  the  second  century.  In  the 
seventh  century,  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  Egypt  by  the 
Arabs,  the  Kopts  numbered  600,000.  To-day  they  only  amoimt 
to  150,000,  of  whom  10,000  reside  in  Cairo.  They  venerate  St. 
Mark  as  their  principal  patron.  They  go  to  communion  regularly 
every  Friday,  lead  a  very  austere  life,  and  allow  their  priests  to 
maiTy. 

The  Kopts  have  black  eyes,  and,  in  general,  curly  hair. 
Morose,  taciturn,  and  dissimulating,  they  cringe  to  their  superiors, 
hate  their  equals,  and  are  arrogant  to  their  inferiors.  They  excel 
as  accoimtants  in  all  kinds  of  business.  They  carry  on  exclusively 
certain  industries,  such  as  the  manufacture  of  miUs,  of  apparatus 
for  irrigation,  and  of  jeweUery. 

The  Koptic  language  is  the  ancient  language  of  the  Pharaohs, 
mixed  with  w^ords  from  the  Greek  and  other  tongues.  It  is 
written  in  the  Greek  character.  It  is  no  longer  grammatically 
taught,  and  is  but  little  spoken.  It  is,  however,  still  used  in 
their  form  of  worship. 


ABAMEAN    BRANCH. 


S^         Jj^-i^**^^^ 


r    THE    TEMPLE    or    KKIKAH. 


The  Kopts  enjoy  rather  a  bad  reputation  in  Egj-pt.     Accom- 
plices  in   the   Arab   inraaion,   and   therefore   tolerated   by  the 


176  THE    WHITE   RACE. 

followers  of  Mahomet,  they  were  emploj'^ed  by  the  Mamelukes  to 
collect  the  taxes.  Thieves  and  mendicant  monks  abound  amongst 
them.  Fig.  74  represents  Koptic  priests  before  the  temple  of 
Kranah. 

The  most  unfortunate  portion  of  the  Egyptian  population,  the 
peasants  and  the  labourers,  the  same  workmen  who  have  been  so 
useful  in  constructing  the  Suez  Canal,  are  called  Fellahs. 

From  an  ethnographic  point  of  view,  the  Fellahs  are  descended 
from  the  primitive  indigenous  inhabitants,  modified  by  admix- 
ture with  the  Arabs.  Although  they  speak  the  Arab  tongue,  the 
coarseness  of  their  features  keeps  them  distinct  from  the  Arabs. 
The  soil  of  Egypt  thus  supports  a  singular  admixture  of  races, 
and  it  is  impossible  now-a-days  to  point  out  one  single  pure 
type.  This  is  a  result  of  the  miserable  political  state  of  the 
country-  From  the  very  first,  Egypt  has  always  been  the  prey  of 
alien  conquerors,  who  have  succeeded  one  another  in  one  long 
roll,  each  in  their  turn  adding  some  new  feature  to  those  of  tlie 
original  inhabitants  of  the  countr}%  In  **  Travels  in  Egj-pt," 
by  Messrs.  Gammas  and  Lefevre,  imblished  in  the  "  Tour  du 
Monde,"  we  read  the  following  observations  on  the  Fellahs  : — 

"  The  Fellahs  have  but  a  feeble  conception  of  the  dignity  of 
man  and  of  then*  own  value ;  the  only  answer  they  give  to  blows 
is  a  complaint.  Sometimes,  indeed,  they  rebel  like  a  flock  of 
sheep,  but  with  a  conviction  that  their  efl'ort  ^vill  be  of  no  avail. 
It  is  thus,  at  the  times  of  conscription,  they  resist  the  soldiery ; 
but  after  a  few  have  been  killed,  the  rest  allow  themselves  to  be 
huddled  on  board  the  man-of-war,  in  which  they  are  taken  down 
the  Nile  to  Cairo,  the  women  and  the  young  girls  following  them 
for  some  miles  along  the  banks  with  cries  and  lamentations.  A 
Fellah's  existence  is  not  essentially  more  unhappy  than  that  of 
our  peasant  hinds.  His  disposition  is  rather  cheerful  than 
melancholy ;  and  eveiy  circmncision,  every  marriage,  is  the 
excuse  for  a  holiday,  shared  by  the  whole  village.  Their  songs 
and  their  dances  ai'e  redolent  of  the  spontaneous  mirth  instinctive 
in  negroes.  But  with  everything  to  render  life  agreeable,  the 
consciousness  of  rights  and  obligations,  that  something  that  con- 
stitutes the  freeman  and  the  citizen,  is  wanting  in  them.  The 
Fellah  is  fond  of  his  home  and  of  his  hamlet ;  but  Egypt  is  for 
him  neither  a  nation  nor  a  fatherland.  It  is  astonishing  at  first 
sight  to  notice  this  degradation  of  the  hmnan  species,  so  sad  to 


75.—*    FELLAH    WOMAK    . 


behold  ;  however,  if  the  oppressive  tyranny  of  the  Mamelokes,  the 
deep  degradatiou  of  Egypt  under  the  Greek  and  Roman  dynasties, 
Mid  the  old  caste  htw,  condemning  the  mass  of  the  population  to 


THE    WHITE   BA.CB. 


the  Blftvery  of  the  soil,  are  remembered,  it  is  easy  to  nnderBtand 
why  the  Fellah,  ground  down  onder  the  sway  of  the  Pharaohs, 
stupefied  under  that  of  the  Itomans,  and  crushed  by  Mussulman 
&taliBm,  is  slow  to  respond  to  the  efforts  and  to  the  intellectoal 


tendencies  of  the  goTemment  of  Said  Pacha.  Since  the  Arab 
conquest,  the  soil  has  been  legally  the  property  of  the  sultans, 
the  emirs,  and  the  beys.  The  feudal  system  that  once  theo- 
retically existed  amongst  us  was  rigorously  carried  into 
practice  in  Egypt,  The  whole  of  the  crop  harvested  by  the 
Fellahs  passed,  with  the  exception  of  a  modicum  necessary  for 


ARAMEAN   BRANCH.  179 

their  absolute  existence,  into  the  granaries  of  the  land-owners. 
Now-a-days  the  Viceroy  has  abandoned  the  practice  of  monopoly ; 
he  is  aimous  to  change  arbitrary  rights  into  regular  taxes ; 
he  has  yielded  his  just  claims  to  the  labourer,  and  assured  to  the 
peasant  his  right  of  succession  to  the  fields  he  has  watered  with 
the  sweat  of  his  toil.  But  it  takes  a  long  interval  to  blot  out  the 
horrible  stamp  of  their  past  slavery. 

"  The  sailors  of  the  Nile,  sons  and  relations  of  the  Fellahs,  re- 
semble them  in  their  ignorance,  in  their  humility,  in  their  contempt 
for  life,  and  in  their  natural  disposition  to  laughter,  to  song,  and 
to  the  dance.  But  their  wits  are  becoming  sharpened  by  per- 
petual contact  with  strangers ;  and  their  minds  are  busy  on  many 
things  undreamt  of  by  the  Fellah." 

The  same  travellers  tell  us,  in  speaking  of  Egyptian  mar- 
riages : — 

"  Marriage  in  Egypt  is  not  a  public  act  strictly  registered  by 
the  law.  When  the  bridegroom  and  the  bride's  parents  have 
come  to  an  understanding,  when  the  sum  to  be  paid  by  the 
husband  has  been  agreed  upon  (the  wife  brings  no  dower),  the 
celebration  of  the  union  takes  place  before  two  witnesses.  Some- 
times the  cadi  is  apprized ;  but  this  is  a  formality  that  is  often 
neglected.  In  such  a  union,  without  any  ulterior  guarantee,  the 
wife  is  but  a  purchased  slave.  When  the  husband  tii*es  of  her  he 
sends  her  back ;  she  can  only  claim  a  divorce  on  one  single 
ground,  for  a  reason  considered  by  us  also  as  a  serious  injury. 
No  legal  notice  is  taken  of  the  birth  of  children,  who  are  con- 
sequently placed  in  a  precarious  position  until  they  are  old 
enough  to  look  after  themselves.  Their  death  is  easily  con- 
cealed ;  and  they  occasionally  perish  by  the  hand  of  one  of  the 
other  wives,  rivals  of  their  mother.  A  common  custom  allows  the 
Nile  sailors  to  have  two  wives,  one  at  Girgeh,  for  instance,  and 
another  at  Assouan.  The  husband  passes  a  month  with  each  of 
them  in  turns,  as  his  business  allows  him.  He  brings  with  him 
a  few  piastres,  a  piece  or  two  of  blue  cotton  stuff,  often  some 
little  seaman's  venture,  that  the  wife  proceeds  to  dispose  of  on 
his  departure.  He  receives  in  exchange  the  products  of  the 
place,  that  in  turn  go  to  swell  the  trade  of  the  other  wife.  We 
had  on  board  a  cargo  of  earthenware,  salt,  and  pipes.  The 
sailors  disembarked  them  here  and  there  as  they  went  up  the 
river,  expecting  to  find  on  their  return  stores  of  tobacco,  dates, 

N  2 


180  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

and  horse-trappings.  Polygamy  looked  at  in  this  light  is  "pro- 
ductive ;  but  it  loses  ground  notwithstanding  every  day,  not 
amongst  the  poor  only,  but  amongst  the  rich,  who  have  in  most 
cases  but  one  legitimate  wife  at  a  time.  Besides,  there  is  but 
one  real  cause  for  polygamy — the  premature  old  age  of  the 
women.  When  the  men  give  up  the  practice  of  marrying  mere 
children,  who  become  rapidly  worn  out  by  the  fatigues  of  preco- 
cious maternity,  polygamy  wiU  cease  to  exist." 

Fig.  77  represents  the  dress  of  a  Cairo  lady. 

Almas,  or  Egyptian  dancing-girls,  are  now-a-days  scarcely  more 
than  a  name  in  the  country.  It  is  difficult  to  find  even  one  or 
two  in  Cairo.  The  last  specimens  are  restricted  to  the  town  of 
Esneh. 

The  travellers  from  whom  we  have  taken  the  above  details, 
visited  the  town  of  Esneh,  and  there  saw  the  dancing-girls.  They 
give  the  following  sketch  of  them. 

"We  were  conducted  into  a  building  of  forbidding  aspect. 
The  dancing-girls  were  grouped  together  in  the  midst  of  the 
apartment.  They  were  all  plain  enough  in  the  face,  but  young 
and  well  made.  The  hope  of  large  gains  had  induced  them  to 
take  extra  pains  with  their  dress.  I  still  see  their  low-necked 
vests,  their  wide  silk  pantaloons,  fastened  above  the  hips  with 
dazzling  waistbands ;  their  inner  tunic  of  gauze  or  flesh-coloured 
muslin;  some  with  naked  feet,  others  with  long  red  or  yellow 
Turkish  slippers.  Most  of  them  wore  necldaces  and  bracelets, 
and  small  coins  hanging  over  their  foreheads ;  whilst  at  the  back 
of  their  heads  hung  a  small  silk  handkerchief,  carelessly  thrown 
on.  The  dance  began  with  a  series  of  attitudes,  beseeching  and 
graceful,  then  rapidly  grew  animated,  till  it  expressed  a  pitch  of 
deep  passion.  Their  bosoms  remained  immovable,  while  they 
moved  the  rest  of  their  bodies  as  if  in  a  frenzy.  A  distribution 
of  olives,  of  liqueurs,  and  a  shower  of  small  coins,  won  us  a 
thousand  blessings,  and  brought  our  evening  to  a  dignified  close. 
The  almas  do  not  meet  every  day  with  such  a  windfall ;  and  if 
they  dance  during  the  winter,  they  do  not  sing  in  the  summer. 
The  population  amidst  which  they  live  cannot  afford  to  remu- 
nerate their  talents.  Well  versed  in  poses  plastiques,  but  in- 
capable of  aU  work,  they  are  reduced  to  all  sorts  of  expedients, 
and  to  loans,  which  make  them  the  slaves  of  the  usurers.  Their 
time  is  spent  in  smoking,  in  drinking  aquavitie,  and  in  consuming 


THE  WHITE   RACE. 


die  omnipreBent  coffee.    The  miseries  of  anch  an  existence  daily 
decrease  the  number  of  almas,  who,  in  the  time  of  the  Mamelukes, 


DAJJCtHO-QIRU 


were  to  be  found  eveiywhere  in  Egypt.     Esneh  is  their  last 
refuge,  and  was,  no  doubt,  their  birthplace." 


ARAMEAN   BRANCH.  183 


The  Semitic  Family. 

We  have  already  said  that  the  races  who  composed  the  Aramean 
branch  kindled  in  Asia,  at  an  early  period  in  history,  the  torch  of 
civilization.  This  observation  is  more  particularly  applicable  to 
the  nations  of  the  Semitic  family,  of  whom  we  are  now  going  to 
speak.  It  is  from  this  family,  in  fact,  that  sprang  the  nations  so 
well  known  in  ancient  history,  under  the  name  of  Assyrians^ 
Hebrews,  Phoenicians  and  Carthaginians.  Conquered  by  other 
races,  the  ALSsyrians,  the  Hebrews,  the  Phcenicians,  and  the 
Carthaginians  have  successively  disappeared  and  are  now  almost 
entirely  replaced  by  the  Arabs. 

We  unite  to  the  Semitic  family  the  Arabs,  the  Jews,  and  the 
Syrians. 

The  Arabs. — The  Arabs  constitute  the  principal  population  of 
modem  Arabia ;  they  also  form  a  great  part  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Egypt,  Nubia,  Barbary,  and  Sahara.  They  extend  into  Persia, 
and  even  into  Hindostan. 

Some  of  the  Arabs  are  shepherds  (Bedouins),  others  cultivate 
the  soil;  the  former  are  nomadic,  the  latter  sedentary.  The 
Bedouins,  children  of  the  desert,  perpetual  wanderers,  active 
and  very  temperate,  are  smaller  and  of  a  more  slender  appear- 
ance than  the  others,  and  support  with  ease  the  fatigues  and 
privations  of  their  mode  of  life.  The  agricultural  Arabs,  or 
fehles,  are  taller  and  more  robust.  The  former  have  a  wild  and 
suspicious  cast  of  countenance.  The  characteristics  of  the  Arab 
race  are,  a  long  face,  with  a  high-shaped  head  ;  an  aquiUne  nose, 
nearly  in  a  line  with  the  forehead  ;  a  retreating  and  small  mouth; 
even  teeth ;  the  eye  not  at  all  deep  set,  in  spite  of  the  want  of 
prominence  of  the  brow ;  graceful  figui*es,  formed  by  the  small 
volume  of  fatty  matter  and  cellular  tissue,  and  by  the  presence  of 
powerful  but  not  largely  developed  muscle  ;  a  keen  wit ;  a  lively 
intelligence ;  and  a  deep  and  persevering  mould  of  character. 
These  characteristics  show  that  they  possess  a  remarkable 
superiority  over  other  races,  and  Baron  Larrey  has  found  fresh 
evidence  of  this  superiority  in  the  shape  of  their  head,  in  the 
convolutions  of  their  brain,  in  the  consistency  of  their  nervous 
tissue,  in  the  appearance  of  their  muscular  fibre  and  their  bony 


184  THE    WHITE   RACK 

structure^  and  in  the  regularity  and  perfect  development  of  their 
heart  and  arterial  system. 

We  see  therefore  that  the  Arah  type  is  really  an  admirable  one. 
This  type,  consistent  and  well  defined  as  a  whole,  has,  however, 
undergone  considerable  modifications  under  the  influence  of 
divers  causes.  The  colour  of  their  skin  varies  a  good  deal :  their 
complexion  is  sometimes  as  white  as  that  of  Europeans  of  the 
most  northern  countries.  In  Yemen,  Arab  women  have  been 
noticed  whose  complexion  was  a  deep  yellow.  In  that  portion,  of 
the  valley  of  the  Nile  contiguous  to  Nubia,  the  Arabs  are  black* 
In  this  same  valley  of  the  Nile,  above  Dengola,  the  Shegya  Arabs 
are  jet  black,  a  bright  clear  black,  a  colour  which  the  English 
traveller  Waddington  thought  the  most  beautiful  that  could  be 
chosen  for  a  human  creature. 

**  These  men,*'  says  Waddington,  "  entirely  differ  from  negroes 
in  the  brilliancy  of  their  colour,  in  the  quality  of  their  hair,  in  the 
regularity  of  their  features,  in  the  gentle  expression  of  their 
limpid  eyes,  and  by  the  softness  of  their  skin,  which  in  this 
respect  is  not  at  all  inferior  to  that  of  Europeans." 

Amongst  the  Arabs  who  dwell  in  more  temperate  climates,  hair 
more  or  less  fail*,  and  blue  or  grey  eyes  have  been  observed.  Aa 
a  contrast,  in  the  Libyan  desert,  tribes  have  been  met  with  whose 
hair  was  woolly  and  nearly  analogous  to  that  of  negroes.  Taken 
altogether,  the  nomadic  Arabs,  who  have  faithfully  adhered  for 
many  centuries  to  the  same  mode  of  life,  exhibit,  in  spite  of 
varying  climates,  the  original  mould  of  an  exceptional  beauty. 

Fig.  79  shows  a  tent  of  nomadic  Arabs. 

• 

The  Jews. — Among  the  lesser  nations  with  an  affinity  to  the 
Semitic  family,  there  is  one  remarkable  by  its  historical  im- 
portance, and  by  the  manner  in  wliich  it  has  managed  to  preserve 
its  original  type  during  the  eighteen  centuries  in  which  it  has 
been  scattered  all  over  the  whole  world :  we  mean  the  Jews  or 
Israehtes.* 

The  Jews  have  preserved  much  of  their  own  peculiar  physio- 

*  French  politeness  has  made  bet^veen  these  two  words  a  distinction  which  is  too  odd 
to  allow  US  to  pass  it  over.  In  France,  a  rich  Jew  is  called  an  ItradUe,  a  poor  Israelite 
is  called  a  Jew.  The  Messrs.  Rothschild  are  ItradUiak  bankers ;  but  if  by  some  im* 
possibility  they  lost  their  millions  and  went  to  live  at  Frankfort,  in  the  Jew*8  quarter,  in 
the  old  family  hoase,  which  is  still  there,  and  which  wc  hare  seen,  they  would  become, 
like  their  ancestors,  Jrvrhh  traders. 


188  THE   WHITE   RiCE. 

gnomy.  They  are  distinguifihed  from  the  nations  among  Trhom 
they  are  dispersed,  by  pecoliar  features  easily  recognized  in 
many  paintings  of  the  great  masters.  Still  they  have  «nded  by 
adopting  more  or  less  the 
characteristics  of  the  joatioiis 
mth  whom  they  hare  long 
resided.  Under  the  sole  iHt 
fluence  of  external  circnm- 
stances  and  mode  of  life,  the 
medley  of  races  amongst 
vhich  they  have  existed  has 
little  hy  little  altered  their 
national  type.  In  the  north- 
ern parts  of  Europe  the  Jews 
have  a  white  skin,  blue  eyes, 
and  fair  hair.  In  some  por- 
tions of  Germany  many  are  to 
be  seen  with  red  beards ;  in 
Portugal  they  are  tawny- 
coloured.  In  those  districts 
of  India  where  they  have 
been  long  settled,  in  Cochin 
for  instance,  on  the  Malabar 
coast,  they  are  black,  and  resemble  the  natives  so  exactly  in 
complexion  that  it  is  often  difficult  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
Hindoos. 

Fig.  80  represents  a  Jew  of  Bucharest. 


''^VS! 


80.— JB 


r  BUCBABEST. 


Syrians. — The  ancient  SjTians  have,  as  a  rule,  become  absorbed  j 
in  the  races  who  have  conquered  them  ;  theu'  language,  however^  j 
is  still  spoken  by  the  Christian  population  of  Mesopotamia  and  J 
Chalden,  the  Sourianis  and  the  Yakoubis  or  Chaldeans.  ' 

BejTout,  at  tlie  foot  of  tlie  mountains  of  Libanus  (fig.  81),  is  s 
town  and  port  which  is  the  commercial  centre  of  all  Syria.  Thither  4 
Libanus  sends  its  wine  and  its  silks ;  Yemen,  its  coffee ;  Hamau^  j 
its  com ;  Djebail  and  Lattakialt,  their  pale-coloured  tobaccos ;  i 
Palmj-ra,  its  horses ;  Damascus,  its  arms ;  Bagdad,  its  costly  '\ 
stuffs ;  and  all  £urope,  the  countless  productions  of  its  indostiy. 

The  very  first  glance  at  Beyrout  shows  how  commerce  prospers 
in  that  town.     The  Maronite  in  his  gloomy  and  coarse  garments. 


188  THE    WHITE   RACE. 

the  Dmze  in  his  white  or  parti-coloured  turban^  armed  with  the 
most  costly  weapons^  the  Arab  displaying  his  picturesque  rags, 
the  Turk,  the  Greek,  the  Jew,  and  the  Armenian,  all  hurry  to  and 
fro,  jostling  one  another  in  the  crowd.  It  is  a  regular  Babel  of 
language  and  costume :  in  which,  however,  the  Christian  element 
predominates. 

But  the  streets  of  Beyrout,  like  all  those  of  Eastern  towns,  are 
not  in  unison  with  such  a  brilliant  panorama. 

The  houses  are  massive  shells  of  stone ;  the  streets  are  narrow 
and  steep,  commimicating  sometimes  by  timnelled  passages;  some 
of  the  broader  ones  are  occupied  by  cafedjis,  inside  which  squat- 
ting Arabs  tranquilly  smoke  their  chibouks,  sheltered  from  the 
rays  of  the  sun  by  awnings  of  coarse  rush-matting  hung  above 
their  heads.  In  the  middle  of  the  street  the  children  roll  about 
in  the  dust. 

The  Maroiiites  and  the  Druzes  are  two  lesser  nations  of  Libanus, 
speaking,  however,  like  most  modem  Syrians,  the  Arabic 
tongue. 

The  Max'onites  are  an  influential  but  ignorant  people.  They 
derive  their  origin  from  a  Christian  monk  of  the  name  of  Maroon, 
who  lived  towards  the  close  of  the  sixth  century,  and  died  in  the 
odoiur  of  sanctity.  A  convent  was  founded  to  honour  his  memory. 
A  century  later,  one  of  his  disciples,  John  the  Maronite,  espoused 
the  quari'el  of  tlie  Latin  Christians  against  those  of  Greek  descent, 
at  that  time  making  much  headway  in  Libanus.  The  latter  drew 
their  inspiration  from  Constantinople ;  the  Maronites,  on  the 
contrary,  imbibed  theirs  from  Rome.  A  religious  pretext  was 
made  use  of  to  hide  political  differences.  Jolm  the  Maronifee 
armed  his  moimtaineers,  led  them  against  the  enemy,  and  Beimot 
the  whole  of  Libanus  right  up  to  the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  Keepiii|[ 
within  their  moimtains,  although  comparatively  few  in  number,' 
the  Maronites  preserved  for  a  long  time  their  independence. .  It 
was  not  until  1588  that  they  were  conquered  by  Ibrahim,  Budu^ . 
of  Cairo,  and  forced  to  pay  a  yearly  tribute,  which  they  $tSL 
continue  to  do. 

In  spite  of  this  the  Maronites,  like  all  mountaineers,  have  kept 
their  desire  for  independence.  Persecuted  by  their  masters,  the 
Mussulmans;  and  by  the  Druzes,  rivals  raised  up  against  them  by 
the  Eii<rlish,  jealous,  according  to  the  French,  of  the  latter*8 


^.,^^a^^_  ^ 

1:  . 

E^ 

V                    Ifc^T 

P 

:.•:■•■    ''^W' 

1  isMBWjPCTV,^/a\fcM\'Mi^^ 

i?""'^^mBR  n^ 

HWKHW'B^  ^-.j^^illi 

iv^^wln^^fl^EMH  ''   B  '/m^HRw*"*^M'      ':'IOj 

il^oHB^'^  ^n  ^^E^  '•wKf^t^tiuHHilwi^ff'  ^'^'^^E^  -^v  U 

^^H 

t"!"'''" 

""i^T^'S' 

i 

L^ 

■^ijflH 

'J 

t^ 

P^M 

B^^^^ 

r&a 

^^Hnj^^^H 

i^Rv'i 

'  'l^lHsHf  jEb^i^^I 

^^^^^^^^^S^^jn 

^1 

M^i^     ^^ 

■*^^5 

ARAMEAN    BRANCH.  193 

almost  everything,  and  only  manufactures  articles  of  primary 
necessity. 

India,  Bussia,  and  Afghanistan  supply  the  Persians  with  most 
of  their  manufactured  goods. 

Persia,  having  been  often  invaded  and  occupied  by  foreigners, 
has  necessarily  a  very  mixed  population.  This  consist  of  foui* 
classes : 

1.  The  nobility,  who  fill  all  public  posts. 

2.  The  citizens  of  the  towns,  comprising  the  clergy,  and  the 
scholastic  profession,  who  are  a  mixture  of  Persians,  Turks,. 
Tartars,  Georgians,  Armenians,  and  Arabs. 

8.  The  peasants,  belonging  to  the  old  Persian  stock. 

4.  The  nomadic  or  pastoral  tribes,  composed  of  Persians,. 
to  whom  must  be  added  the  remnant  of  the  ancient  conquering 
classes  of  this  coimtry.  It  is  from  this  last  class  that  spring  the 
soldiers  and  all  the  military  clique  who  constitute  in  Persia  a  real 
hereditary  autocracy. 

The  religion  of  the  ancient  Persians  was  that  of  Zoroath,  that 
is  to  say,  necromancy.  In  the  third  and  fourth  centuries  of  the 
Christian  era,  Christianity  made  many  converts  in  this  land, 
alihongh  at  that  time  it  was  occupied  by  the  Arabs.  But  from 
tiie  commencement  of  the  fifth  centiuy  the  kings  of  Persia  devoted 
their  energies  to  crushing  it  out  of  their  country,  and  Maho- 
metanism  is  now  the  predominant  religion.  A  new  sect,  the 
$0§i$ti,  taking  rise  in  a  province  in  Persia  (Kerman),  has  made 
ntsaj  converts  throughout  the  kingdom.  The  votaries  of  this 
jM^r  creed  are  deists,  who  only  accept  the  Koran  as  a  book  of 
flpml  precepts,  and  who  repudiate  the  religious  dogma  that 
Hjihrnnrt  drew  from  it.. 

:;JBg,  84  represents  several  Persian  types ;  fig.  85  gives  an  idea 
ollhe  costly  dress  of  the  Persian  nobility. 

The  author  of  a  "Journey  in  Persia,"  Count  de  Gobineau, 
has  well  described  the  internal  life  of  the  Persians.  We  will 
a  few  extracts  from  his  interesting  book.  Let  us  read,  for 
,  the  chapter  in  which  is  described  A  dinner  in  Ispahan. 
"The  table,"  M.  de  Gobineau  tells  us,  **  laid  for  twenty  guests, 
waa  almost  lost  in  the  immense  size  of  the  place.  The  front  of 
the  theatre  was  open,  supported  by  ten  lofty  columns  painted  in 
li^t  colours ;  the  large  curtain  in  use,  white,  with  black  designs 
embroidered  on  it,  was  stretched  like  an  awniug  over  the  nearest 

0 


THE   WHITE    RACE. 


part  of  the  gardens.  The  guests  overlooked  e  large  foimtftin  of 
numiiig  water  and  vast  beds  of  plane  tree3.  Nomeroua  seirants 
in  motley  dresses,  and  armed  each  according  to  his  own  fane; 
(gome  of  them  carried  a  complete  arsenal),  stood  in  groups  at  the 
end  of  the  terrace,  or  handed  round  the  dishes,  helping  the  guests. 


84. — PKHSIAir  T¥PE9. 

The  table  had  been  laid  out  with  the  help  of  the  European 
servants,  a  httle  in  the  European  manner,  and  a  good  deal  accoid- 
ing  to  Persian  customs.  Its  centre  was  occupied  by  a  perfect 
forest  of  vases  and  cups,  made  of  wood,  or  of  blue,  white,  or  yellow 
and  red  glass,  and  filled  with  flowers.  The  novelty  of  the  thing 
to  our  hosts,  lay  in  the  spoons  and  forks :  when  by  good  fortmie, 


ARAMRAW    BRiNCH. 


they  managed  to  impale  a  piece  upon  their  fork  and  carry  it  to 
their  mouths  without  pricking  themselves,  it  was  the  signal  for  a 


burst  of  compliments.  Theu-  appetites  were  a  LtOe  eccentric. 
One  of  them  filled  his  plate  with  mustard,  and  declared  he  had 
nerer  tasted  anything  half  so  good     As  theu  parade  was  greater 


196  THE   WHITE   RACR 

than  the  results,  we  begged  them  to  help  themselves  in  their  own 
way.  After  much  hesitation,  they  consented  to  hold  on  to  the 
fork  with  the  left  hand  while  they  picked  up  their  food  with  the 
right. 

"  In  the  midst  of  the  meal  we  heard  a  jingle  of  silvery  bells,  and 
saw  four  young  boys,  dressed  as  women,  in  pink  and  blue  dresses 
spangled  vnth  tinsel,  enter.  They  were  dancers.  They  wore 
little  gilt  caps,  from  beneath  which  their  long  hair  fell  over  their 
shoulders.  The  musicians  were  seated  on  the  ground:  one  played 
on  a  kind  of  mandolin,  another  on  a  hand  drum,  and  a  third 
performed  on  an  instrument  with  a  quantity  of  strings  stretched 
across  a  table,  from  which  he  drew,  with  some  little  sticks, 
sounds  similar  to  those  of  the  har^)." 

M.  de  Gobineau  tells  us  that  Ispahan  contains  many  men  learned 
in  various  branches,  rich  and  prosperous  merchants,  and  men  of 
property  who  live  on  their  incomes.  The  town  may  be  compared 
in  size  and  tranquillity  to  Versailles. 

Another  chapter  of  M.  de  Gobineau's  book  is  worth  reading, 
that  headed  "  Betrothal,  Divorce,  and  a  Persian  Lady's  Day." 

The  betrothed  are  usually  very  young.  The  youth  is  from 
fifteen  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  the  girl  fi'om  ten  to  eleven. 
It  is  unusual  to  find  a  woman  of  thi*ee-and-twenty  who  has  not 
liad  at  least  a  couple  of  husbands,  and  often  many  more,  so  easily 
are  divorces  obtained.  The  women  are  kept  strictly  secluded  in 
one  of  the  inner  apartments  or  enderoun,  that  is  to  say,  no 
outsider,  no  stranger  to  the  family,  is  allowed  to  enter  it.  But 
they  are  quite  at  liberty  to  go  out  from  morning  till  night,  and 
often  indeed  from  night  to  morning.  In  the  first  place  they  go 
to  bathe.  They  go  to  the  bath  with  an  attendant  who  carries  a 
box  full  of  toilet  necessaries  and  the  requisite  articles  of  dress, 
and  it  is  at  least  four  or  five  hours  before  they  return  from  it. 
After  that  they  pay  visits  which  they  make  to  one  another,  and 
which  occupy  a  similar  interval.  Their  last  method  of  killing 
time  is  the  pilgrimage  they  make  to  the  graves  of  their  kindred, 
which  are  at  no  great  distance  in  the  midst  of  pretty  scenery. 

All  Persian  women  are  so  carefully  veiled,  and  dressed  so 
similarly,  as  to  their  out-door  garments,  that  it  is  impossible  for 
the  most  practised  eye  to  distinguish  one  from  the  other. 
Besides  paying  visits,  the  excursion  to  the  bath,  the  shopping  in 
Alb  bazaar,  and  their  pilgrimages,  the  women  go  out  of  doors 


AKAMEAN    BRANCH.  197 

when  it  pleases  them,  and  the  streets  are  full  of  them.  Unfortu- 
nately Persian  women  are  rather  in  the  habit  of  looking  upon 
themselves  as  inferior  irresponsible  beings.  Absolute  mistresseB 
at  home,  they  are  extremely  passionate   and  violent,  and  tlieir 


tiny  slipper,  furnished  with  a  sharp  iron  point  lialf  an  inch  long, 
often  leaves  very  disagreeable  marks  on  their  husbands'  faces. 

The  Persian  in  his  turn  spends  half  his  time  in  the  bazaar,  and 
the  remainder  in  paj-ing  and  receiving  visits.  This  is  how  they 
take  place. 

The  intending  visitor  sets  out  on  horseback  accompanied  by  as 


198 


THE    WHITE    RACE. 


many  of  his  servants  as  he  can  collect,  the  ^eloAir,  vith  the 
embroidered  saddle-cloth  across  his  shoulders,  at  his  horse's  head; 
nnd  behind  him  the  kalyandjy  (masician)  with  his  instmment. 
^Vhen  he  tenches  the  door  he  ^"ishes  to  stop  at,  he  dismounts. 


He  then  vith  bis  servants  m  front  of  bim  traverses  one  or  two 
passages  invariahlj  low  and  dark  and  sometunes  one  or  two 
courts  before  reaching  the  apartments  of  the  master  of  the  house. 
If  his  visitor  is  of  higher  rank  than  himself,  the  host  comes  to 
the  door  to  receive  him.     If  they  are  equals,  he  sends  his  sou  or 


ARAMEAN   BRANCH.  199 

one  of  his  young  relations  to  do  so-  The  opening  courtesies  are 
extremely  flowery,  such  as  **  How  came  your  lordship  to  conceive 
the  compassionate  idea  of  visiting  this  lowly  roof?  "  ScCf 

When  they  reach  the  drawing-room,  they  find  all  the  men  of 
the  family  standing  in  a  row  against  the  wall  bowing  to  the  new- 
comer. As  soon  as  every  one  is  seated,  the  visitor  inquires  of 
the  master  of  the  house,  "  If,  by  the  will  of  God,  his  nose  is  fat." 
The  latter  replies :  "  Glory  be  to  God !  it  is  so,  by  means  of 
your  goodness.'*  This  same  question  is  sometimes  repeated 
three  or  four  times  running.  After  a  few  moments  of  conversa- 
tion, tea,  coffee,  and  sherbet  are  handed  round.  The  great 
charm  of  this  rather  frivolous  gossip  is  its  exaggeration,  and  the 
witty  and  amusing  turn  given  to  it. 

The  Persians  have  a  peculiar  taste  for  calligraphy.  Painting 
is  an  almost  unknown  art  amongst  them.  They  possess,  however, 
a  certain  amount  of  artistic  instinct,  as  is  sho\\Ti  by  the  richness 
and  elegance  of  some  of  theii*  monuments. 

Fig.  87  shows  the  reader  other  t^i^es  of  Persian  costume  worn 
by  different  classes.  The  Louty  and  the  Baktyan  rei)resented  in 
this  sketch  are  members  of  a  nomadic  tribe,  enjoying  rather  a 
bad  reputation. 

The  Afghans  inhabit  the  mountainous  region  lying  to  the  north 
of  the  lowlands  of  the  Pmijaub,  that  is  to  say,  the  basin  of  the 
Indus.  Their  climate  is  a  charming  one.  The  Afghans  are  fine 
muscular  men  with  a  long  face,  high  cheek-bones  and  a  prominent 
nose.  Their  hair  is  generally  black.  Their  skin,  according  to 
the  part  of  the  country  they  mhabit,  is  dark,  tawny,  or  white. 
They  are  an  unpolished,  warlike  race,  differing  in  customs  and  in 
language  both  from  the  Persians  and  the  natives  of  India.  They 
are  subdivided  into  many  tribes  or  clans. 

The  Beloochees,  addicted  to  pastoral  life,  and  primitive  in  their 
habits,  move  about  from  place  to  place,  dwelling  in  tents  which  are 
constructed  of  felt  on  a  slight  framework  of  willow.  They  wander, 
with  their  flocks,  about  the  table  lands  surrounding  Kelat.  They 
are  to  be  found  in  nearly  the  whole  of  that  part  of  eastern  Persia, 
which,  lying  between  Afghanistan  to  the  north  and  the  Indian 
Ocf  an  to  the  south,  stretches  westwards  from  the  Indus  to  the  great 
Salt  Desert.   They  speak  a  dialect  derived  from  the  Persian. 


%:^:.MaiM.  -afe  ^s*ia* 

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jj  jij^g  iiii'tjiji 

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i;;lif  sa^siKSf 

•ARAMEAN    BRANCH.  201 

The  Brahnis  are  nomadic  tribes  found  in  the  colder  and 
more  elevated  parts  of  the  high  gi'ounds  comprised  within 
•the  above  geographical  limits.  They  are  short  and  thickset, 
"with  round  faces  and  flat  features,  and  brown  hair,  and  beards. 
The  Beloochees,  who  live  in  lower  and  wanner  regions,  are,  on 
the  contrar}',  fine  tall  men,  with  regular  features  and  an  expres- 
sive physiognomy.  But  those  who  dwell  in  the  lowlands,  close 
to  the  Indus,  have  a  darker  and  almost  black  skin.  The  Brahnis 
bear  the  same  relation  to  the  Hindoos  of  the  Punjaub  that  the 
Beloochees  do  to  the  Persians. 

The  Kurds,  who  occupy  the  lofty  mountainous  region,  inter- 
sected by  deep  valleys,  wliich  is  situated  between  the  immense 
table  land  of  Persia  and  the  plains  of  Mesopotamia,  are  a  semi- 
barbarous  people,  very  different  from  the  descendants  of  the 
Medo-Persians,  though  also  si)rung  from  an  Aiyan  root.  They 
are  tall,  with  coarse  features.  Their  complexion  is  bro^vn,  their 
hair  is  black,  their  eyes  small,  their  mouth  large,  and  their 
coimtenances  wild  looking. 

The  Armenians  of  both  sexes  are  remarkable  for  their  physical 
beauty.  Their  language  is  nearly  alUed  to  the  oldest  dialects 
of  the  Ar3'an  race,  and  their  history  is  connected  with  that  of  the 
Medes  and  Persians  by  very  ancient  traditions.  They  have  a 
white  skin,  black  eyes  and  hair,  and  their  features  are  rounder 
than  those  of  the  Persians.  The  luxuriant  gro\\1:h  of  the  liaii*  on 
their  faces  distinguishes  them  from  the  Hindoos. 

Fig.  88  represents  a  drawing-room  in  an  -:Vi'menian's  house  at 
Soncha. 

The  climate  of  Annenia  is  generally  a  cold  one ;  but  in  the 
valleys  and  in  the  plains  the  atmosi)here  is  less  keen  and  the  soil 
very  fertile.  Crops  of  wheat,  wine,  fruit,  tobacco,  and  cotton  are 
very  plentiful  there.  Mines  of  gold,  silver,  copi)er,  ii'on,  and  lead 
are  found  there,  but  these  are  but  little  worked.  Ai'menian  horses 
have  the  reputation  of  being  the  best  bred  in  western  Asia. 
Cochineal,  an  important  production  of  this  country,  is  verj'^ 
plentiful  at  the  foot  of  Ararat.  Excellent  manna  is  found  in  the 
same  districts*    Armenian  floreals  are  ver}^  abundant. 

Armenia  nowadays  constitutes  the  pachaliks  of  Erzeroum, 
Kars,  and  Dijar-Bekr  in  Asiatic  Turkey.     Besides  its  indigenous 


202  THE   WHITE    RACE. 

population,  it  is  inhabited  by  Turks,  Kurds,  Turcomans,  and  the 
remnants  of  other  nations  who  formerly  made  raids  into  their 
country.  The  Armenian  is  distinguished  by  his  serious,  laborious, 
intelligent,  and  hospitable  disposition.  He  is  very  successful  in 
business.  Fond  of  the  traditions  of  his  forefathers,  and  attached 
to  his  government,  he  has  a  good  deal  of  sympathy  with 
Eiu*opeans.  He  becomes  easily  accustomed  to  European  customs, 
and  learns  our  languages  wiUi  little  difficulty. 

The  Christian  religion  has  always  been  followed  in  Armenia, 
and  Armenians  are  much  attached  to  their  church.  But  this  is 
divided  into  several  sects.  The  Gregorian  (the  creed  founded 
by  Saint  Gregorj^),  the  Eoman  Catholic,  and  the  Protestant 
religions  are  all  to  be  found  in  Armenia.  The  head  of  the  first, 
which  is  the  most  numerous  (it  musters  about  four  million 
worshippers),  resides  at  Etchmiadzia,  in  Russian  Armenia. 
There  is  another  patriarch,  who  is  nearly  independent,  at  Cis, 
the  ancient  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Cilicia.  The  patriarch  of 
the  Catholics,  who  are  fifty  thousand  in  number,  resides  at 
Constantinople  ;  but  a  second  patriarch  {in  partibus),  whose  juris- 
diction extends  over  Syria,  Cilicia,  and  a  part  of  Asia  Minor, 
•dwells  on  Moimt  Libanus.  The  Roman  Catholics  of  Russian 
Armenia  belong  to  the  see  of  the  Metropolitan  residing  in  St. 
Petersburg.  The  head  of  the  Protestant  church,  which  contains 
from  four  to  five  thousand  souls,  dwells  at  Constantinople. 

The  Ossetines,  who  are  the  last  branch  of  the  Aryan  race  in  Asia, 
inhabit  a  small  portion  of  the  chain  of  the  Caucasian  moimtains, 
populated  for  the  most  part  by  races  distinct  from  the  Indo- 
Europeans.  They  resemble  the  peasants  of  the  north  of  Russia ; 
but  their  customs  are  bai'barous,  and  they  are  given  to  pillage. 

M.  Vereschaguine  met  with  the  Ossetines  in  his  travels  in  the 
Caucasian  provinces.  A  Cossack,  with  whom  he  had  some 
trouble,  belonged  to  this  race.  The  villages  of  the  Ossetines  lie 
on  the  slopes  of  the  mountains.  On  each  side  of  the  Darial  Pass 
lofty  walls,  flanked  by  towers,  are  to  be  seen,  reminding  the 
spectator  of  the  days  of  brigandage. 

The  Ossetine,  contrary  to  the  customs  of  all  the  other  tribes  of 
the  Caucasus  and  of  the  Trans-Caucasus,  uses  beds,  tables,  and 
chairs.  He  seats  himself,  like  most  Europeans,  without  crossing 
his  legs. 


ABAMRAN    BRANCH.  S03 

The  Georgian  FAsntr. 
The  Georgian  Family  13  gathered  together  on  the  southern 


. — QBOBCtiLNS. 


slope  of  the  CaucaBus.    The  beauty  of  the  Georgian  women  13 
prorerbial.    M.  Moynet,  in  his  "Joumey  to  the  Caapifin  and 


204  .  THE   WHITE   RACE. 

the  Black  Seas/'  tells  us  that  they  deserve  all  their  reputation. 
Their  physiognomy  is  as  calm  and  regular  as  that  of  the  im- 
mortal type  handed  down  to  us  in  the  ancient  statuary  of  Greece. 
A  head-band  of  bright  colours  in  the  shape  of  a  crown,  and  from 
which  hangs  a  veil  passing  under  the  chin,  forms  their  head- 
dress. Two  long  plaits  of  hair  fall  behind,  reaching  nearly  to 
their  feet.  Nothing  can  be  imagined  more  graceful  or  more 
dignified  than  this  head-dress.  A  long  ribbon  of  the  gayest  hues 
serves  them  for  a  sash,  and  falls  down  the  front  of  their  dress  to 
the  ground.  Out  of  doors  they  wTap  themselves  up  in  a  flowing 
white  cloth,  which  shields  them  from  the  sun,  and  which  they 
wear  with  much  grace. 

The  men  are  also  generally  handsome.  They  have  preserved 
the  Caucasian  type  untouched  and  unaltered.  They  wear  rich 
dresses,  embroidered  with  gold  and  silver,  and  carry  costly, 
sparkling  arms.  They  are  brave  and  chivalrous,  and  are  passion- 
ately fond  of  horses. 

The  Circassian  Family. 

The  Circassian  Family,  collected  in  the  Caucasian  mountains, 
is  composed  of  a  population  distinguished  for  their  braverjs  but 
very  feebly  civilized.  The  Circassian  type  has  in  the  whole  of 
the  East  a  great  reputation  for  beauty,  and  it  deserves  it.  Most 
Circassians  have  a  long  oval  face,  a  thin  straight  nose,  a  small 
mouth,  large  dark  eyes,  a  well-defined  figure,  a  small  foot,  brown 
hair,  a  very  white  skin,  and  a  martial  appearance. 

In  affinity  with  the  Circassians  are  the  Abases,  who  speak  a 
dialect  akin  to  Circassian.  They  are  serai-barbarous,  and  live  on 
the  produce  of  their  herds  and  from  the  spoil  of  their  brigandage. 
Their  features  show  no  sign  of  Circassian  grace.  They  have  a 
nan'ow  head,  a  prominent  nose,  and  the  lower  half  of  their  face  is 
extremely  short. 

The  Mingrelians,  inhabitants  of  Mingrelia,  a  little  kingdom  on 
the  shores  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  resemble  the  Georgians  in  phy- 
sical appearance,  in  manners,  and  in  customs. 


THE  YELLOW  KACE. 


The  Yellow  Eace  has  also  been  called  the  Mongol  Mace,  from 
the  well-defined  features  of  one  of  the  famihes  it  comprises. 

The  principal  characteristics  which  distinguish  the  individuals 
and  the  families  belonging  to  the  Yellow  race,  are,  high  cheek- 
bones, a  lozenge-shaped  head,  a  small  flat  nose,  a  flat  countenance, 
narrow  obliquely-set  eyes,  straight  coarse  black  hair,  a  scanty 
beard,  and  a  complexion  of  a  gi'eenish  hue. 

However,  all  the  members  of  the  yellow  race  do  not  exhibit 
these  distinct  features.  Sometimes  they  show  but  a  few  of  them, 
whilst  others  of  their  characteristics  would  seem  to  identify  them 
with  the  Caucasian  group.  It  is  thus  very  difficult  to  make  the 
proper  divisions  in  this  race. 

We  will  separate  it  into  three  branches — the  Hyperborean,  the 
Mongolian,  and  the  Sinaic  branches. 


CHAPTER   I. 

HYPEEBOEEAN   BEANCH. 

The  Hyperborean  branch  is  composed  of  the  various  races 
inhabiting  the  districts  in  the  vicinity  of  the  North  Pole,  small 
in  stature  and  possessing  the  principal  characteristics  of  the 
Yellow  Eace. 

The  people  belonging  to  the  Hyperborean  branch  are  nomadic, 
and  their  only  domestic  animals  are  the  dog  and  the  reindeer. 
They  are  spread  over  a  vast  surface,  but  are  few  in  number. 
They  support  themselves  by  hunting  and  fishing.  They  are 
passionately  fond  of  strong  drinks,  and  their  civilization  is  of  a 
very  rudimentary  character. 

Some  of  these  people  might  perhaps  be  more  properly  classed 
under  the  Mongolian  branch.  Possibly  some  even  should  be 
classified  in  tlie  White  Eace,  for  they  have  lost,  under  the  influences 
of  cUmate  and  of  their  mode  of  life,  the  distinguishing  charac- 
teristics of  the  Yellow  Eace.  As  it  is  very  difficult  to  make  a 
natural  classification  of  these  people,  we  will  retain  that  set  up 
by  M.  D'OmaKus  d'HaUoy. 

This  naturalist  distinguishes,  amid  the  people  who  compose  the 
Hyperborean  branch,  seven  families,  taking  the  affinities  of 
language  as  a  basis.  These  are  the  Lapp,  the  Samoied^^  the 
Kamtschadale,  the  Esquimatuv,  the  lenissian,  the  Jukaghirite,  and 
the  Koriak  families. 

The  Lapp  Family. 

The  Laplanders  are  thin  and  short,  but  pretty  strong  and 
active.  Their  head  is  disproportionately  large.  They  have  a 
roimd  skull,  wide  cheek-bones,  the  broad  flat  Mongol  nose,  a 
protruding  forehead,  and  goggle  eyes.    Their  complexion  is  a 


HTPEEBOBEAN    BRANCH.  207 

yellowish  brown,  and  their  hair  is  usually  black.  This  cnrioua 
race  of  men  is  divided  into  two  distinct  classes,  the  nomadic 
Laplander  and  the  sedentary  Laplander. 

The  sole  property  of  the  former  is  his  herd  of  reindeer.     He 
takes  these  to  the  high  grounds,  and  after  spending  the  months 


■LiPUNBERS. 


■of  June,  July,  and  August  there,  returns  in  September  to  his 
Trinter  quarters.  In  his  journeys  to  and  fro,  he  ases  the  reindeer 
as  beasts  of  burden.  When  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow,  he 
harnesses  these  useful  quadrupeds  to  his  sledge.     (Fig.  90.) 

Dogs  are  also  used  as  draft  animals  in  Lapland.  On  the 
borders  of  the  scanty  forests  of  Lapland  and  Siberia,  the  in- 
habitants of  these  barbarous  countries  may  often  be  seen  gliding 
rapidly  by  on  a  sledge  drawn  by  doga. 


208  THE   YELLOW    RACK 

The  usual  life  of  the  nomadic  Laplander  is  about  as  wretched 
as  can  well  be  imagined.  A  tent  stretched  on  four  uprights  is  his 
abode  summer  and  winter.  The  fire-place  is  in  the  middle  of  the 
tent,  and  the  smoke  escapes  through  an  opening  in  the  top. 
Five  or  six  reindeer  skins  stretched  roimd  the  fire  form  the  beds 
of  the  whole  family,  to  which  the  surrounding  smoke  serves  as 
the  only  curtain.  Their  furniture  consists  of  an  iron  pot  and  a 
few  wooden  pails.  The  Laplander  carries  in  his  pocket  a  horn 
spoon  and  a  knife.  He  often,  instead  of  wooden  pails,  makes 
use  of  the  bladder  of  the  reindeer.  In  them  he  carries  the  milk 
mixed  with  water  which  is  his  dail}^  beverage.  Whenever  he 
sets  out  on  a  journey,  he  harnesses  a  pair  of  reindeer  to  his 
sledge. 

This  nomadic  race,  which  formerly  occupied  a  part  of  Sweden, 
is  now  much  diminished  in  numbers.  Thirty  years  ago  theii" 
number,  counting  aU  that  could  be  found  in  Russian,  Norwegian, 
and  Swedish  Lapland,  only  came  to  twelve  thousand. 

The  sedentar}"  Laplander  is  usually  some  poor  reindeer 
proprietor,  who  having  ruined  himself,  and  being  unable  to 
continue  the  life  of  a  wandering  herdsman,  becomes  a  beggar  or 
a  servant.  If  he  has  still  a  little  money  left,  he  settles  down  on 
the  sea  coast,  and  tm-ns  fisherman,  while  his  wife  spins  wool. 
His  existence  in  the  midst  of  men  of  a  different  race  is  then  a 
solitaiy  one.  He  is  a  regular  pariah,  despised  by  both  Swede  and 
Norwegian.  His  hut,  his  dress,  his  customs,  are  all  different  to 
those  of  the  people  amongst  whom  he  has  taken  shelter.  His 
children  are  not  allowed  to  marry  into  any  of  the  neighbouring 
families,  and  he  is  utterly  and  entii-ely  alone  amid  strangers. 

In  his  "  Travels  in  the  Scandinavian  States,"  M.  de  Saint- 
Blaize  tells  us  how  he  suddenly  fell  in  with  an  encampment  of 
Laplander  in  the  night  time.  A  hundred  deer,  whose  immense 
antlers,  interlaced  the  one  with  the  other,  produced  the  effect  of 
a  little  forest,  were  grouped  around  the  camp  fires.  Two  yoimg 
Laplanders  and  some  dogs  watched  over  the  safety  of  the  whole. 
Hard  by  were  the  tents.  An  old  Laplander  and  his  wife  offered 
the  traveller  some  reindeer  milk.  It  was  very  oily,  and  reminded 
him  of  goat's  milk. 

The  same  traveller  tells  us  that  when  on  a  journey  a  Laplander's 
wife  gives  birth  to  a  child,  she  places  it  in  a  piece  of  hollow  wood 
with  the  opening  fenced  in  with  wire  to  give  play  to  the  baby's 


HYPEBBOEEAN    BRANCH. 


head.     This  log  with  its  precious  contents  is  then  placed  on  the 
mother's  buck   and  she  rejoins  the  rest.     When  they  halt,  she 


hangs  this  kind  of  wooden  chrysalis  to  the  bough  of  a  tree, 
the  wire  protecting  the  child  from  the  teeth  of  wild  animals 
(fig.  91). 

The  Samoiede  Family. 

The  Samoiedes  are  a  wandering  race,  spread  over  both  sides  of 
the  great  Siberian  promontory  ending  in  Cape  North.  Some  of 
their  tribes  are  also  to  be  met  with  pretty  far  to  the  west,  to  the 
east,  and  to  the  south  of  this  region.  They  support  themselves  by 
hunting  and  fishing  on  the  borders  of  the  Frozen  Ocean.  They 
hear  much  resemblance  to  the  Tunguses  of  whom  we  shall  speak 
later.  Their  &ce  is  flat,  round  and  broad,  their  lips  are  thick  and 
tamed  np,  and  theii*  nose  is  wide  and  open  at  the  nostrils. 
Their  hair  is  black  and  coarse,  and  they  have  but  little  on  their 
&ce.  Most  of  them  are  rather  under  the  middle  size,  well 
proportioned  and  rather  thick  set.  (Fig.  92.)  They  are  wild  and 
restless  in  disposition. 

The  Kamtschadale  Fasqlt. 

"We  can  only  just  make  a  note  of  the  Kamtschadales,  with 
whom  the  navigators  of  the  Arctic  seas  have  been  for  a  long  time 
acquainted.  They  inhabit  the  southern  portion  of  the  peninsula 
that  bears  their  Uame.     They  are  short  men  with  a  tawny  skin. 


THE    YELLOW    RACE. 


black  hair,  a  meagre  beard,  a  btoad  face,  a  short  flat  nose,  small 
deep-set  eyes,  scaDty  eyebrovs,  immense  stomachs,  and  thin 


More  to  the  South,  in  the  Kourile  Islands,  and  on  the  adjacent 
continent,  we  meet  with  a  race  differing  widely  from  the  pre- 


-SAUOIEDES. 


ceding  one.  Tliey  are  the  inhabitants  of  these  islands,  and  are 
called  Amos,  Tliey  are  of  short  stature,  but  their  features  are 
regular.  The  most  remarkable  of  their  physical  characteristics  is 
tlie  extraordinary  development  of  their  hair.  They  are  the 
hairiest  of  men,  and  it  is  this  peculiarity  that  makes  us  sUude  to 
them.  Their  beards  cover  their  breasts,  and  their  arms,  neck, 
and  back  are  covered  with  hair.  This  is  an  exceptional  pecu- 
liarity, particularly  with  men  of  the  Mongol  type. 


HYPERBOREAN    BRANCH.  211 

The  language  spoken  by  the  Amos,  is  strikingly  like  that 
spoken  by  the  Samoiedes  and  by  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Caucasus.  Their  bodies  are  well  formed  and  their  disposition  is 
gentle  and  hospitable.     They  live  by  hunting  and  fishing. 


The  Esquimaux  Family. 

Greenland  and  most  of  the  islands  adjacent  to  this  portion  of 
the  American  continent  are  inhabited  by  a  people  that  have 
received  the  common  name  of  Esquimaux  and  who  constitute  a 
very  numerous  family. 

The  principal  and  the  most  numerous  tribes  of  the  Esquimaux 
family  belong  to  the  American  continent.  But  as  they  are  quite 
dii^tinct  from  the  other  inhabitants  of  this  continent,  and  as  they 
have  a  much  greater  resemblance  to  the  people  of  Northern 
Asia,  and  to  the  Mongols,  it  is  here  that  we  mention  them. 

The  head  of  the  Esquimaux  has  a  more  pyramidal  shape  than 
that  of  the  Mongols  of  Upper  Asia.  This  is  owing  to  the 
narrowing  of  the  skull.  Such  an  outward  sign  of  degradation 
reveals  at  once  the  moral  and  social  inferiority  of  these  poor 
people.  Their  eyes  are  black,  small  and  ^vild,  but  show  no 
vivacity.  Their  nose  is  very  flat,  and  they  have  a  small  mouth, 
with  the  lower  lip  much  thicker  than  the  upper  one.  Some  have 
been  seen  with  plenty  of  hair  on  their  face.  Their  hair  is  usually 
black,  but  occasionally  fair,  and  always  long,  coarse,  and 
unkempt.  Their  complexion  is  clear.  They  are  thick-set,  have 
a  decided  tendency  to  obesity,  and  are  seldom  more  than  five  feet 
in  height. 

During  a  journey  undertaken  by  Dr.  Kane  of  New  York  to  the 
82nd  degree  of  northern  latitude,  this  bold  explorer  spent  more 
than  a  year  amongst  the  Esquimaux  who  live  at  Etah,  the  nearest 
human  abode  to  the  North  Pole.  Men,  women,  and  children, 
covered  only  by  their  filth,  laid  in  heaps  in  a  hut,  huddled 
together  in  a  kind  of  basket.  A  lamp,  with  a  flame  sixteen  inches 
long  produced  by  burning  seal  oil,  wanned  and  lighted  the  place. 
Bits  of  seal's  flesh,  from  whence  issued  a  most  horrible  ammo- 
niacal  odour,  lay  upon  the  floor  of  this  den. 

Fig.  98  represents  the  summer  encampment  of   a  tribe   of 

Esquimaux,  and  fig.  94  a  winter  one.     Fig.  95  represents  a 

Tillage,  that  is  to  say,  a  collection  of  huts  made  of  blocks  of  snow 

p  2 


21S  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

which  shelter  from  the  excessive  cold  these  disinherited  children 
of  Nature. 

The  seals  from  the  bay  of  Beusselaer  provide  the  Esquimamc 
with  food  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  More  to  the  south, 
as  far  as  Murchisoii'B  channel,  the  whale  penetrates  in  due  season. 
The   winter  famine  begins   to   cease  when  the  sun  reappears. 


Jannaiy  and  February  are  the  months  of  hardship  ;  during  the 
latter  part  of  March  the  spring  fisheries  recommence,  and  with 
them  movement  and  life  begin  anew.  The  poor  wretched  dens 
covered  with  snow  are  then  the  scenes  of  great  activity.  The 
masses  of  accumulated  provisions  are  then  brought  out  and  piled 
up  on  the  frozen  ground :  the  women  prepare  the  skins  to  make 
shoes  of,  and  the  men  make  a  reserve  store  of  harpoons  for  the 


HTPEBBOEEAN    BRANCH. 


213 


winter.  The  Esqtiimaux  are  not  lazy.  They  hunt  with  a  good 
deal  of  pluck,  and  are  often  forced  to  bide  their  game  in  excava- 
tions  that  tlie  wild  beasts  may  not  get  at  it.  Their  consump- 
tion of  food  is  very  great.  They  are  large  eaters,  not  from 
greediness,  but  of  necessity,  on  account  of  the  extreme  cold  of 
these  high  latitudes. 


MQniMACX  WISTEft  BNCAMFMBKT. 


Fig.  96  represents,  according  to  Doctor  Kane,  the  chief  of  an 
Esquimaux  tribe. 

Doctor  Hayes,  in  his  "  Journey  to  the  Open  Sea  of  the  North 
Pole,"  published  in  1866,  has  described  the  Esquimaux  type. 
A  broad  £ace,  heavy  jaws,  prominent  cheek  bones,  a  narrow  fore- 
liead,  small  eyes  of  a  deep  black,  thin  long  lips,  with  two  narrow 
rows  of  sound  teeth,  jet-black  hair,  a  Uttle  of  it  on  the  upper  lip 


214  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

and  on  the  chin ;  small  in  statore  but  stoutly  built,  and  a  robust 
constitution  of  a  vigorous  kind;  such  are  the  diBtinguishing 
characteristics  of  the  people  of  the  far  north. 

The  Esquimaux  style  of  dress  seemed,  to  the  learned  traveller, 
pretty  much  the  same  for  both  sexes ;  a  pair  of  boots,  stockings, 
mittens,  trousers,  a  waistcoat,  and  an  overcoat.  The  father-in- 
law  of  one  of  his  travelling  companions  wore  boots  of  bearskin 


95. — ESQVIMAVX 


coming  up  to  the  knee,  whilst  those  of  his  wife  reached  much 
Iiigher,  and  were  made  of  seal  leather.  Their  tronsers  were 
ii:tde  of  sealskin,  their  stockings  of  dogskin,  their  mittens  of 
sealskin,  and  their  waistcoat  of  kidskin  with  the  fur  inside. 

The  overcoat,  made  of  the  skin  of  the  blue  fox,  does  not  open 
in  front,  but  is  put  on  like  a  shirt.  It  ends  in  a  hood  covering 
the  head  like  the  cowl  of  a  monk.  The  women  cut  their  coat  to 
a  point,  in  order  to  confine  their  hair,  which  they  gather  together 
on  the  top  of  the  head,  and  tie  up  in  a  knot  as  close  and  as  hard 
as  a  stone,  by  means  of  untauned  straps  of  sealskin.  This  is 
fiho^ni  in  fig.  93. 


HYPERBOREAN    BRANCH.  815 

Seal -hunting  is  the  chief  occupation  of  the  Esquimaux.     The 


seal  is   a  providential   animal   to  the   wild  inhabitants   of  tlie 
-shores  of  the  Frozen  Ocean  of  America,  as  tlie  reindeer  is  tlie 


THE   YELLOW   RACE. 


godsend  of  the  Laplanders,  inhabitants  of  the  shores  of  the  same 
seas  in  the  north  of  Europe. 

The  eggs  of  the  seabirds,  particularly  of  the  penguin,  are  a 


97.— BSQCriH&UX    BIBD-CATOHBEt. 


second  source  of  food  to  these  people.  The  Esquimaux  run  all 
sorts  of  risks  to  gather  the  eggs  of  these  birds  on  the  steep  and 
giddy  cliffs  where  their  nests  are  found  (fig.  97). 

The  Esquimaux  can  only  coont  up  to  ten,  the  number  of  their 


HYPERBOREAS    BRANCH.  217 

fingers.  They  have  no  system  of  notation,  and  can  assign  no 
date  to  past  events.  They  have  no  annals  of  any  kind  or  sort, 
and  do  not  even  know  their  own  age. 

Temisian  Fauelt. 

A  people  more  generally  known  under  the  name  of  Ostiaks  ol 
Temi»ia.  They  speak  a  very  different  language  from  that  of  the 
Ostiaks  of  the  Obi  whom  we  have  already  mentioned  as  belong- 
ing to  the  'White  Bace. 

JuKAGHnUTE    AND    KoKIAK    FAMILIES. 

These  ore  wandering  people,  becoming  more  and  more  absorbed 
in  the  Russian  population.  They  live  on  the  shores  of  Behring's 
Straits,  or  in  the  interior,  and  much  resemble  the  Samoiedes  in 
their  customs  and  in  their  language. 


CHAPTER  n. 

MONGOLIAN   BRANCH. 

The  peoples  belonging  to  this  ethnologic  branch  exhibit  the 
characteristics  of  the  Yellow  Bace  in  the  most  prominent  manner. 
They  are  fond  of  a  nomadic  life,  and  have  at  different  periods 
made  wide  conquests  ;  but  they  have,  as  a  rule,  become  absorbed 
in  the  races  they  have  overcome.  The  Mongols  are  still,  how- 
ever, the  rulers  of  the  Chinese  Empire.  They  belong  either  to 
the  Buddhist  or  to  the  Mahometan  faith. 

This  branch  is  divided  into  three  great  families,  analogous  with 
the  differences  in  their  language :  the  Mongols,  the  Tunguses, 
and  the  Turks.  We  may  add  to  them  a  fourth  family,  the 
Yakuts,  for  these  latter  possess  the  physical  characteristics  of 
the  Yellow  Race,  and  speak  a  Turkish  dialect. 

The  Mongol  Family. 

The  most  decided  features  of  the  Yellow  Race  are  particularly 
prominent  in  the  Mongol  family.  Its  members  have  a  larger 
head,  a  flatter  face  and  nose,  and  smaller  eyes  than  those  of  the 
other  families.  Tliey  have  a  broad  chest,  a  very  short  neck, 
round  shoulders,  strong  thick-set  limbs,  short  bow-legs,  and  a 
brownish-yellow  complexion.  The  most  nomadic  of  the  Mongol 
family  live  under  the  rule  of  the  Russian  and  the  Chinese 
Empires. 

Fig.  99  represents  a  Mongol  Tartar. 

Three  principal  nations  are  to  be  found  in  this  family :  the 
Kalmuks,  the  Mongols  proper,  and  the  Buri'ats. 

Kalmuks. — M.  Vereschaguine,  in  his  "Journey  in  the  Caucasian 
Provinces,"  has  described  the  nomadic  Kalmuks  whom  he  met 


MONGOLIAN    SRANCH.  S19 

■mth  on  the  frontier  separating  the  Caucasus  from  the  district  of 
the  Cossacks  of  the  Don.  Travelling  villages  are  found  on  these 
dreary  and  monotonous  steppes.  The  habitations  of  which 
these  villages  are  composed  consist  of  tattered  tents.  These 
contain,    mixed   up   in   nn   incredible   confusion,    boxes,    cases. 


lassoes,  saddles,  and  heaps  of  rags.  A  hearth  is  the  onlj  sign 
of  a  fireplace.  During  the  heat  of  summer,  the  children  of  both 
sexes,  Qp  to  the  age  of  ten,  run  about  almost  entirely  naked.  In 
winter,  in  the  midst  of  their  terrible  snowstorms,  and  when  the 
thermometer  is  below '  zero,  tliey  remain  for  days  together 
huddled  up  in  their  tents  beneath  heaps  of  their  clothing. 
-  A  Kahnok's  dress  consists  of  a  shirt,  of  a  bechmet,  of  a  wide 
pair  of  tronsere,  of  red  leather  boots,  and  of  a  square  cloth  cap 


220  THE   ITELLOW   RACE. 

with  a  broad  border  of  sheepskin  fur,  generally  ornamented  with 
an  immense  knob  on  the  top.  The  more  wealthy  wear  into  the 
bargain  an  ample  and  lengthy  dressing-gown.  The  women  do 
not,  like  the  men,  wear  a  belt  round  their  shirt ;  their  hair  falls 
from  beneath  their  cap  in  several  plaits  tied  up  with  ribbons  of 
different  colours. 

Cunning,  trickery,  fraud,  and  theft,  are  the  staple  occupations 
of  these  nomadic  tribes.  The  mother  supports  her  child  without 
the  father  troubling  himself  about  it,  and  it  grows  up  in  a  state 
of  neglect. 

The  food  of  the  Kalmuks  is  extremely  primitive.  Boiled  flour, 
diluted  with  water  and  cooked  up  with  pieces  of  horseflesh,  forms 
the  staple  of  their  culinary  art.  They  are  fond  of  tea,  and 
drink  a  great  deal  of  it,  but  they  season  it  so  highly  as  to  entirely 
lose  its  flavour.  They  are  downright  di*unkards  into  the  bargain, 
and  in  this  respect  the  women  and  the  children  are  not  a  whit 
behind  the  men.  They  sometimes  spend  whole  days  in  gambling 
with  greasy  and  ill-assorted  cards. 

The  Kalmuks  ai'e  capital  horsemen.  They  also  breed  and 
break-in  camels,  which  they  sell  in  the  Tiflis  market. 

Mongols  proper. — The  Mongols  proper,  or  the  Eastern  Mon- 
gols, wander  in  the  steppes  of  Mongolia.  They  are  divided  into 
numerous  tribes,  of  which  the  most  important  have  received  the 
name  of  Khalkas, 

Mongolia  may  be  divided  into  two  parts,  as  distinct  by  tlieir 
political  proclivities  as  by  the  nature  and  produce  of  their  soil. 

The  southern  part,  an  arid  district,  is  only  inhabited  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Chinese  frontier,  where  numerous  tribes  of  Mongol 
origin,  direct  tributaries  of  the  Cliinese  Empire,  are  to  be  found. 
The  northern  division,  entirely  populated  by  Khalkas  tribes,  is 
fertile. 

The  Khalkas  are  subdivided  into  two  castes :  the  Buddhist 
priests,  and  the  black  men  who  allow  their  hair  to  grow.  The 
latter  possess  an  aristocracy,  leading  like  the  rest  a  pastoral  life, 
from  whom  are  selected  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes,  chosen  by 
election.  The  Khalkas  could  bring  into  the  field  at  least  fiffy 
thousand  horsemen ;  but  they  are  wretchedly  armed  with  worth- 
less Chinese  double-edged  sabres.  These  are  notched  or  spiral- 
shaped.    Their  other  weapons  are  short  spears,  arrows,  match- 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH.    .  221 

locks  with  queer-shaped  breeches,  shields  stuffed  with  sheets  of 
leather,  and  coats  of  wire  mail. 

The  life  of  a  wandering  Khalkasian  is  very  uneventful.  He 
begins  his  day  by  going  round  his  flocks,  and  mounted  on  a 
horse  which  is  never  unsaddled,  and  which  has  spent  the  night 
fastened  to  a  stake  at  the  door  of  his  tent,  he  gallops  after  the 
animals  that  have  strayed  away ;  then  he  bends  his  steps  to  a 
neighbouring  camp  to  gossip  with  the  herdsmen  it  contains. 
Betuming  home,  he  squats  in  his  tent  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day,  and  kills  time  by  sleeping,  drinking  tea  diluted  with  milk 
or  butter,  or  by  smoking  his  pipe ;  while  his  wives  draw  water, 
milk  the  cows,  collect  fuel,  make  cheese,  or  prepare  wool  and 
the  skins  of  various  animals  for  clothes  and  shoes. 

The  Khalkas,  hospitable  and  sober,  possess  the  primitive 
virtues  of  the  Yellow  Race ;  but  they  are  unacquainted  with 
either  commerce  or  manufactures.  The  only  tilings  they  produce 
are  felt  stuffs,  a  little  embroidery,  and  some  poorly  tanned  skin 
and  leather.  They  dispose  of  their  raw  produce  to  Bussian 
and  Chinese  traders,  who  cheat  them  as  much  as  they  can. 
The  payments  ai*e  made  in  blocks  of  tea,  five  blocks  being  an 
equivalent  to  one  ounce  of  Chinese  silver.  This  tea  is  com- 
posed of  the  coarsest  kind  of  leaf  and  of  the  small  twigs  of  the 
herb. 

The  duU  and  contemplative  existence  of  the  Khalkasian  has 
few  events  to  interrupt  it.  It  is  broken  only  by  a  pilgrimage,  by 
a  funeral  followed  by  long  festivities,  by  the  arrival  of  a  few 
travellers,  or  by  a  marriage.  This  last  is,  as  among  the  ancient 
patriarchs,  only  a  species  of  barter  in  which  the  girl  is  sold  by 
her  father  to  the  highest  bidder,  and  is  an  excuse  for  a  week's 
rejoicing,  in  which  all  concerned  revel  in  orgies  of  meat,  tobacco, 
and  rice  brandy. 

The  Buriats, — Miss  Lisa  Christiani,  in  the  course  of  her 
travels  in  eastern  Siberia,  received  the  chiefs  of  some  Buri'at 
tribes  who  had  made  known  their  desire  to  pay  her  their  respects* 
She  met  on  the  following  day,  on  the  banks  of  the  Selinga,  an 
escort,  sent  by  the  Buriats  in  her  honour,  composed  of  three 
hundred  horsemen,  dressed  in  splendid  satin  robes  of  various 
colours,,  and  wearing  pointed  caps  trimmed  with  fur ;  they  carried 
bows  and   arrows  in  their  shoulder-belts,  and  bestrode  richly 


MONGOLIAN   BRANCH.  223 

caparisoned  horses  (fig.  100).  It  was  in  this  manner  the  traveller 
made  her  first  acquaintance  with  this  tribe. 

At  the  time  Miss  Christiani  fell  in  with  them,  the  Buriats  were 
celebrating  the  obsequies  of  one  of  their  principal  chiefs.  The 
travellers  were  present  at  the  funeral  service  and  ceremonies, 
which  were  performed  in  a  Mongol  temple,  and  afterwards  at  the 
games  which  took  place  according  to  their  ancient  custom. 
These  games  included  archery,  wrestling,  and  horse  and  foot 
races.  A  banquet  followed,  at  which  roast  mutton,  cheese,  cakes, 
and  even  some  capital  Champagne  were  served  to  the  guests. 

The  Buriats  number  about  thii-ty-five  thousand  men,  dwelling 
in  the  mountains  to  the  north  of  Baikal.  Their  herds  and  flocks 
constitate  their  wealth.  Their  religion  is  Shamanism,  a  species 
of  idolatry  very  prevalent  amongst  the  inhabitants  of  Siberia. 
Their  supreme  God  inhabits  tlie  sun ;  he  has  under  his  command 
a  host  of  inferior  deities.  Amongst  these  barbarous  people 
woman  is  considered  an  unclean  and  soulless  being. 

The  Tungusian   Family. 

The  Tungusian  family  consists  of  two  divisions  :  the  Tunguses 
to  the  north,  and  the  Manchus  to  the  south-east. 

The  Tunguses, — The  Tunguses,  who  are  scattered  in  Siberia 
from  the  Sea  of  Okliotsk  to  lenissia  and  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  are 
nomadic,  and  live  on  the  produce  of  their  hunting  and  fishing. 
Daouria  to  the  north  of  China  is  their  native  country.  Those 
who  live  under  the  Russian  government  are  classified,  according 
to  the  domestic  animals  constituting  their  principal  resources,  as 
dog  Tunguses,  horse  Tunguses,  and  reindeer  Tunguses. 

The  nomadic  Tunguses  of  Daouria  were  described  at  the  close 
of  the  last  century  by  the  Russian  naturalist  Pallas,  the  same 
who  found  on  the  shores  of  the  Lena  the  antediluvian  mammoth, 
still  covered  with  its  skin  and  coat  of  hair,  the  discovery  of  which 
cansed  so  much  excitement  in  Europe. 

• 

Manek&s. — Fig.  101  represents  the  type  of  this  race.  We  do 
not  think  it  necessary  to  speak  of  them. 

The  Yakut  Family. 
The  countenance  of  the  Yakuts  is  still  flatter  and  broader  than 


SS4 


THE    YELLOW    RACE. 


that  of  the  Mongols.  Their  long  black  hair  flows  ostorally 
round  their  head,  while  but  little  grows  on  their  facea  :  they  keep 
one  tress  veiy  long,  to  which  they  tie  their,  bow  to  keep  it  dry 


■iiaiioh6b  soLDiKRa. 


when  they  are  obliged,  in  the  course  of  their  wanderings  or  whilst 
out  hunting,  to  swim  across  deep  rivers. 

We  will  take  a  few  detuls  about  the  country  of  the  Yakuts  aud 
its  inhabitants  from  the  interesting  travels  of  Ouvarouski,  repub- 
lished in  the  "Tour  du  Monde."  The  land  of  the  Yakuts  has 
two  different  aspects.    To  the  south  of  Yakutsk,  it  is  covered 


THE  HUMAN    RACE 


M0N60(.IAN  ESQUIMAUX 

YELLOW  OR  MONGOLIAN  PACE 


MOXaOLIAN    BRANCH, 


2i3 


with  lofty  rocky  mountains ;  to  the  west  and  to  the  noi-th,  it  is  a 
plain  on  which  grow  thick  anil  buahy  trees.  It  contains  number- 
less streams  of  considerable  depth  and  width.  The  inhabitants, 
however,  content  themselves  with  boats  made  of  planks  or  wooden 
and  bark  canoes,  only  capable  of  holding  two  or  three  persons. 
The  reindeer  is  the  principal  means  of  conveyance  used  by  the 
Yakuts. 

The  severity  of  the  cold  is  verj-  great  in  this  countrA- — greater. 


perhaps,  than  in  any  other  part  of  Siberia.  Its  population  is  not 
more  than  two  hundred  tliousand.  The  Yakuts  (figs.  102  and  103) 
are  stoutly  made,  though  only  of  middle  height.  Their  counten- 
ance is  rather  flat,  and  tlieir  nose  is  of  a  corresponding  width. 
They  have  either  brown  or  black  eyes.  Tlieir  hair  is  black, 
thick,  and  glossy.  They  never  have  any  on  their  faces.  Their 
complexion  is  between  white  and  black,  and  changes  three  or 
four  times  a  year ;  in  the  spring,  from  the  action  of  the  atmos- 
phere ;  in  the  summer,  from  that  of  the  sun ;  and  in  winter,  from 
the  cold  and  from  the  effects  of  the  heat  of  their  fires.     They 


226  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

would  make  bad  soldiei*8,  as  their  peaceful  disposition  forbids 
them  from  ever  fighting ;  but  they  are  active,  lively,  intelligent, 
and  affable.  In  their  encampments  their  provisions  are  at  the 
sendee  of  ever}'  traveller  who  seeks  their  hospitality.  Let  his 
stay  last  a  week,  or  even  a  month,  there  is  always  more,  than 
enough  for  both  himself  and  his  horse.  They  are  fond  of  wine 
and  tobacco,  but  they  endure  hunger  and  thirst  with  remarkable 
patience.  A  Yakut  thinks  nothing  of  working  for  tliree  or  four 
days  without  either  eating  or  drinkmg. 

But  let  us  quote  Ouvarouski,  the  author  of  the  description  of 
the  customs  of  the  Yakuts. 

**  The  land  of  the  Ytdvuts,''  says  this  traveller,  **  is  so  extensive 
that  the  temperatui'e  varies  very  much.  At  Olekminsk  for 
instance,  wlieat  tluives  capitall}^  because  there  the  white  frost 
comes  late ;  at  Djigansk  on  the  contraiy,  the  earth  alwap 
remains  frozen  two  spans  below  the  surface,  and  the  snow  begins 
to  fall  in  the  month  of  August. 

**  The  Yakuts  are  all  baptised  in  the  Russian  faith,  two  or 
tlu'ee  hundred  of  them  jierhaps  excepted.  They  obey  the  ordin- 
ances of  the  church  and  go  annually  to  confession,  but  few  receive 
the  sacrament,  because  tlie}'  are  not  in  the  habit  of  fasting.  They 
neither  go  out  in  the  moniing  nor  retire  to  rest  at  night  without 
saying  their  devotions.  When  chance  has  befriended  them,  they 
thank  the  Lord ;  when  misfortime  overtakes  them,  they  regard  it  as 
a  2)unishment  inflicted  by  the  Almighty  for  their  sins,  and,  with- 
out losing  heart,  patiently  await  better  times.  In  spite  of  these 
praiseworthy  sentiments  they  still  preserve  some  superstitious 
beliefs,  paiiicularly  the  custom  of  prostrating  themselves  before 
the  devil.  AVhen  long  sicknesses  and  murrains  prevail,  they 
cause  their  shamans  to  practise  exorcisms  and  sacrifice  cattle  of  a 
particidar  colour. 

"  The  Yakuts  are  very  intelligent.  It  is  sufficient  to  hold  an 
hour  or  two's  conversation  with  one  of  them  to  understand  his 
feelings,  his  disposition,  and  his  mind.  They  easily  comprehend 
the  meaning  of  elevated  language,  and  guess  from  the  very 
beginning  what  is  about  to  follow.  Few  even  of  the  most 
artful  Russians  are  able  to  deceive  a  Yakut  of  the  woods. 

**  They  honour  their  old  men,  follow  their  advice,  and  consider 
it  ^vrong  and  unjust  to  offend  and  irritate  them.  When  a  father 
has  several  children,  he  gets  them  married  one  after  tlie  other. 


UOSGOLIAN    UlUKCH.  227 

buililB  a  house  for  tliem  next  to  his  own,  and  shares  witli  tbem 
his  cattle  and  his  pi-operty.     Eveii  when  sepRmted  fi-om  theii- 


parents  their  children  never  disobey  them.     When  a  fiithcr  has 
but  one  son  he  keeps  him  with  him,  and  only  separates  from  him 


228  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

if  he  loses  his  wife  and  marries  a  second  who  brings  him  other 
children. 

"  The  wealth  of  a  Yakut  is  estimated  in  proportion  to  the 
number  of  cattle  he  possesses ;  the  improvement  of  his  herds  is 
his  first  thought,  his  principal  wish ;  he  never  thinks  of  putting 
by  money  till  he  has  succeeded  in  this  object. 

"Anger  is  acclimatized  among  all  nations;  the  Yakut  is  no 
stranger  to  it,  but  he  easily  forgets  the  grudge  he  may  owe  to- 
any  one,  provided  the  latter  acknowledges  his  wrong  and  confesses 
himself  to  blame. 

"  The  Yakuts  have  other  failings,  which  must  not  be  attributed 
to  an  innate  bad  disposition.  Some  of  them  live  on  stolen 
cattle,  but  these  are  only  the  needy ;  when  they  have  taken 
enough  to  feed  them  two  or  tliree  times  from  the  carcase  of  the 
stolen  beast,  they  abandon  the  rest ;  tliis  shows  that  their  only 
motive  is  hunger,  from  which  they  have  suffered  perhaps  for 
months  and  years.  Besides  when  the  thief  is  caught,  their 
princes  (kinres,  from  the  Russian  kniaz)  have  him  whipped  with 
rods,  according  to  ancient  custom,  before  everybody.  The  man 
who  has  undergone  this  punishment  carries  its  degradation  with 
him  to  the  day  of  his  death.  His  evidence  can  never  be  again 
listened  to,  and  liis  words  are  of  no  weight  in  the  assembUes 
where  the  people  meet  to  deliberate.  He  can  be  chosen  neither 
as  prince  nor  as  starsyna  (from  the  Russian  starchina,  ancient). 
These  customs  prove  that  theft  has  not  become  a  profession 
among  the  Yakuts.  The  tliief  is  not  only  punished,  but  never 
regains  tlie  name  of  an  honest  man. 

"  Let  a  Yakut  once  determine  to  master  some  handicraft,  and 
he  is  sure  to  succeed.  He  is  at  one  and  the  same  time  a  jeweller, 
ji  tinker,  a  farrier,  and  a  carpenter ;  he  knows  how  to  take  a  gun 
to  pieces,  how  to  carve  bone,  and,  with  a  little  practice,  he  can 
imitate  any  work  of  art  he  has  once  examined.  It  is  a  pity  that 
they  have  no  instruction  to  teach  them  the  higher  arts,  for  they 
are  quite  capable  of  executing  extraordinary  tasks. 

"  They  are  wonderful  shots.  Neither  cold  nor  rain,  neither 
hunger  nor  fatigue,  can  stop  them  in  the  pursuit  of  a  bird  or  an 
animal.  They  will  follow  a  fox  or  a  hare  for  two  entire  days 
without  minding  their  own  fatigue,  or  the  exhaustion  of  their 
horse. 

"  They  have  a  good  deal  of  taste  and  inclination  for  trade,  and 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH.  22i) 

are  so  well  up  in  driving  a  hai*d  bargain  for  the  smallest  fox  or 
«able  skin,  tliat  they  always  get  a  high  price  for  it. 

"  The  gun-stocks  that  they  manufacture,  the  combs  they  cut  and 
ornament,  are  works  of  gi-eat  finish.  I  may  also  remai'k  that 
their  oxhide  leather  bottles  never  get  foul,  even  if  they  are  left  for 
ten  years  full  of  liquid. 

'*  Many  of  the  Yakut  women  have  pretty  faces ;  they  are 
-cleaner  than  the  men,  and  like  the  rest  of  their  sex  are  fond  of 
<lre8S  and  fine  things.  Natm-e  has  not  left  them  without  charms. 
They  cannot  be  called  bad,  immoral,  or  light  women.  They  pay 
the  same  honom*  to  their  fatlier  and  mother,  and  to  the  aged 
parents  of  their  husband,  as  they  do  to  the  Deit}'.  Their  head 
and  their  feet  they  never  allow  to  be  seen  stripped.  They  never 
pass  the  right  side  of  the  hciu-th,  and  never  call  their  husbands' 
relations  by  their  Yakut  names.  The  woman  who  is  unlike  this 
description  is  looked  upon  as  a  wild  beast,  and  her  husband  is 
considered  extremel}"  unlucky.'* 

Fig.  104  represents  a  Yakut  village  and  villagers. 

The  Yakuts  profess  Shamanism,  an  idolatrous  religion  practised 
hy  the  Finns,  by  the  Samoiedes,  by  the  Ostiaks,  by  the  Buriats, 
by  the  Teleouts,  by  the  Tunguses,  and  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Pacific  islands.  Shamanists  worship  a  supreme  being,  the 
creator  of  the  world,  but  indifferent  to  human  actions.  Under 
him  ai'e  male  and  female  gods :  some  good,  who  superintend  the 
government  of  the  world,  and  the  destinies  of  humanity ;  the 
others  evil,  the  greatest  of  whom  (Chaitan,  Satan)  is  considered  to 
be  nearly  as  powerful  as  the  supreme  Being.  Religious  venem- 
tion  is  also  paid  to  their  ancestors,  to  heroes,  and  to  their  priests, 
called  SluLinans ;  these  latter  in  their  ceremonies  practise  a  gi-eat 
deal  of  sorcer}'. 

Fig.  105  represents  some  of  these  Shamans. 


The  TuiiKisu  Family. 

The  people  belonging  to  the  Turk  or  Tartar  family  suc- 
ceeded in  founding,  in  very  ancient  times,  a  vast  empire  which 
included  a  paii;  of  central  Asia  from  China  up  to  the  Caspian 
Sea.  But  the  Turks,  attacked  and  conquered  by  the  Mongols, 
were  subdued  and  driven  back  towards  the  south-west,  that  is  to 
say  to  the  south  of  Europe.     There  they  became  in  their  turn 


THK    YELLOW    HACE. 


conqtieroi-s,   mul   overcame,   nfter  Liying   it  waste,  a  portion  of 
Sotithcni  I'lnrope. 


Tlie  Tui'ka  had  originally  red  hair,  gn^enisli-grev  eyes,  and  a 
Mongolian  cant  of  countenance.     But  these  characteristics  linrc 


MONGOLIAN   BBANCH. 


disappeared.     It  is  only  the  Turks  who  now-a-dnys  dwell  to  the 
north-east  of  the  Caucasus  who  possess  the  characteristics  of  tlie 


-VAKDT  rniBsi?. 


Mongols.    Those  who  are  settled  to  the  south-west  exhibit  the 
featares  peculiar  to  the  white  race,  with  black  hair  and  eyes. 


232  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

The  fusion  of  the  former  with  the  Mongols,  of  the  second  with 
the  Persians  and  the  Arameans,  explain  these  modifications. 
The  Turks,  more  than  all  nations,  manifest  the  deepest  zeal 
for  Mahometanism,  and  show  the  greatest  intolerance  for  the 
followers  of  other  creeds. 

The  Turkish  family  comprises  rather  a  large  number  of  races. 
We  shall  consider  here  only  the  Turcomans^  the  KirghiSf  the 
Nogays,  and  the  Osnianlis. 

The  2\ircomans. — The  Turcomans  wander  in. the  steppes  of 
Turkestan,  Persia,  and  Afghanistan.  They  stray  as  far  as 
Anatolia  to  the  west.  The  tribes  who  dwell  in  this  last  district 
have  the  shape  and  the  physical  characteristics  of  the  White 
llace ;  those  who  inhabit  Turkestan  show  in  their  physiognomy 
the  admixture  of  Mongol  blood. 

The  Turcoman  is  above  the  middle  height.  He  has  not 
strongly  developed  muscles,  but  he  is  tolerably  powerful  and  enjoys 
a  robust  constitution.  His  skin  is  white ;  his  countenance  is 
round  ;  his  cheek  bones  are  prominent ;  his  forehead  is  wide,  and 
the  development  of  the  bony  part  of  the  skull  forms  a  kind  of  crest 
at  the  top  of  the  head.  His  almond-shaped  and  neaiiy  lidless  eye 
is  small,  lively,  and  intelligent.  His  nose  is  usually  insignificant 
and  turned  up.  The  lower  j^art  of  his  face  retreats  a  little,  and 
his  lips  are  thick.  He  has  scanty  moustachios  and  beard,  and  his 
ears  are  large  and  protruding. 

The  Turcoman's  dress  consists  of  wide  trousers  falling  ovei" 
the  foot  and  tight  at  the  hips,  and  of  a  coUarless  shirt  open  at 
the  right  side  down  to  the  waist,  falling,  outside  the  trousers^  half- 
way dovm  the  thigh.  Outside  these  an  ample  coat  is  fastened 
round  the  waist  by  a  cotton  or  wool  belt.  It  is  open  in  front  and 
slightly  crossed  over  the  chest.  Its  sleeves  are  ver}-  long  and 
very  wide,  a  little  skull-cap  is  worn  instead  of  the  hair,  and  is 
covered  with  a  kind  of  liead-dress  called  talhac,  made  of  sheep 
skin,  in  the  shape  of  a  cone  witli  a  slightly  depressed  summit. 
His  shoes  are  a  sort  of  slipper,  or  simply  a  sandal  of  camel  or 
horse  skin  fastened  to  the  foot  by  a  woollen  cord. 

The  type  is  more  strongly  defined  in  the  Turcoman  women 
than  in  the  men.  Their  cheek  bones  are  more  prominent,  and 
their  complexion  is  white.  Then*  hair  is  generally  thick  but 
very  short ;  and  they  are  obliged  to  lengthen  their  tresses  with 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH.  233 

goat-hair  loops  and  stiings,  to  which  they  fasten  glass  beads  and 
silver  pearls. 

We  will  not  describe  their  dress,  but  will  only  observe  that  they 
weai*  a  round  cap  on  their  head,  to  w^hich  they  fasten  a  silk  or 
cotton  veil  falling  backwards.  The  whole  is  surrounded  by  a 
kind  of  turban  of  the  breadth  of  three  fingers,  on  which  are  some 
little  squares  of  silver.  One  end  of  the  veil  is  brought  under  the 
chin  from  right  to  left,  and  is  fastened,  by  a  little  silver  chain 
ending  in  a  hook,  on  the  left  side  of  the  face. 

Trinkets,  necklaces,  bracelets,  and  chains  play  such  a  pro- 
minent part  in  the  adornment  of  the  Trnxoman  women,  that  a 
dozen  of  them  togetlier  drawing  water  make  as  much  tinkling  as 
the  ringing  of  a  small  bell. 

The  men  wear  no  ornament. 

Fig.  106  represents  a  camp  of  nomadic  Turcomans. 

M.  de  Blocqueville,  who  pubUshed  in  1866,  in  the  "  Tour  du 
Monde,"  the  curious  account  entitled  "Fourteen  months*  captivity 
among  the  Tm*comans,'*  describes  as  follows  the  habits  of  these 
tribes : — 

**  The  Turcomans  keep  close  to  their  tent  a  sheep  or  a  goat, 
which  they  fatten  and  kill  on  special  occasions.  The  bones  are 
taken  out  and  the  meat  is  cut  up  and  salted ;  some  of  it  is  dried 
and  acquii-es  a  high  flavour  much  liked  by  the  Turcomans ;  the 
rest,  cut  into  smaller  pieces  and  placed  in  the  animal's  i)aunch,  is 
kept  to  make  soup  out  of.  They  collect  the  bones  and  other 
leavings,  and  stew  them  down  in  a  pan  so  as  to  have  some  broth 
to  offer  on  festivid  occasions  to  their  friends  and  neighbom's. 
The  intestines  fall  to  the  childi-en's  share,  who  broil  them  on  the 
coals  and  spend  whole  days  in  sucking  and  pulling  about  this  half- 
cleansed  offal. 

'* Women  are  treated  with  more  consideration  by  the 

Turcomans  than  by  other  Mussulmans.  But  they  work  hard,  and 
every  day  have  to  grind  the  corn  for  the  family  food.  Besides 
this,  they  spin  silk,  wool,  and  cotton  ;  they  weave,  sew,  mill  felt, 
pitch  and  strike  the  tents,  draw  water,  sometimes  do  some  wash- 
ii^gj  dye  woollen  and  silk  stuffs,  and  manufactm^e  the  cai-pets. 
They  set  up  out  of  doors,  in  the  fine  weather,  a  very  primitive 
loom  made  of  four  stakes  firmly  fixed  in  the  ground,  and,  with  the 
assistance  of  two  lai'ge  cross  pieces  on  which  they  lay  the  woof, 
begin  the  weaving,  which  is  done  with  an  iron  implement  com- 


SM  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

posed  of  five  or  six  blades  put  together  in  tlie  shape  of  a  comb. 
These  carpets,  generally  about  three  yards  long  and  a  yard  and  a 
half  wide,  are  durable  and  well  made.     Eveiy  tribe  or  family  has 


its  on-n  particular  pattern,  wliicli  is  handed  dottii  from  mother  to 
daughter.  The  Turcoman  women  tire  necessarily  endowed  with 
a  strong  constitution  to  be  able  to  bear  all  this  hard  work,  during 
which,  they  sometimes  suckle  their  cliildren,  and  only  eat  a  htUe 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH.  235 

dry  bread,  or  a  kind  of  boiled  meat  with  but  little  nourishment  in 
it.  It  is  esi>ecially  tiu'ning  the  gi'indstone  that  wears  them  out 
and  injures  their  chest. 

"  In  their  rare  intervals  of  leisure  they  have  always  got  with 
them  a  packet,  of  wool  or  of  camel's  hair,  or  some  raw  silk,  that 
they  spin  whilst  they  are  gossiping  or  visiting  their  neighbours  ; 
for  they  never  remain  quite  idle  like  the  women  of  some  Mussul- 
man countries. 

**  The  man  has  also  his  own  kind  of  work ;  he  tills  the  soil, 
tends  the  crops,  gets  in  the  han-est,  takes  care  of  the  domestic 
animals,  and  sometimes  starts  on  plundering  expeditions  in  order 
to  bring  home  some  booty.  He  manufactures  hand-made  woollen 
rope ;  cuts  out  and  stitches  together  the  harness  and  clothing  of 
his  horses  and  camels  ;  attempts  to  do  a  little  trade,  and  in  his 
leisure  moments  makes  himself  caps  and  shoes,  plays  on  the 
doutar  (an  instrument  with  two  striugs),  sings,  drinks  tea,  and 
smokes. 

"  These  tribes  are  ver}-  fond  of  improving  themselves,  and 
of  reading  the  few  books  that  chance  throws  into  their  hands. 

"  As  a  rule  the  children  do  not  work  before  their  tenth  or 
twelfth  year.  Their  parents  up  to  that  age  make  them  learn  to 
read  and  write,  Those  who  are  obliged  to  avail  themselves  of 
their  children's  assistance  during  the  press  of  summer  labour, 
take  care  that  they  make  up  for  lost  time  in  the  winter. 

"The  schoolmaster,  moUah  (priest  or  Liiin  of  letters),  is  content 

m 

to  be  remunerated  either  in  kind,  with  wheat,  fruit  or  onions ; 
or  in  money,  according  to  the  parents'  position.  Each  child 
possesses  a  small  board,  on  which  the  mollah  writes  down  the 
alphabet  or  whatever  happens  to  be  the  task ;  this  is  washed  off 
as  soon  as  the  child  has  learned  his  lesson. 

"  The  parents  satisfy  themselves  that  their  children  know  their 
lessons  before  they  set  out  for  school :  the  women  in  particular 
are  vain  of  being  able  to  read.  The  men  sometimes  spend  whole 
days  in  trying  to  understand  books  of  poetrj'  which  come  from 
Khiva  or  Boukhara,  where  the  dialect  is  a  little  different  to  their 
own. 

"  The  Turcoman  moUahs  spend  some  years  in  these  to^vns  to 
enable  themselves  to  study  in  the  best  schools. 

"  All  these  tribes  are  Mahometan  and  belong  to  the  Sunnite 
sect.     The    only  external    difference    between    them  and    the 


236  THE    YELLOW   RACE. 

Persians  of  the  Scliiite  sect,  who  recognise  All  as  Mahomet's  only 
successor,  consists,  as  is  well  known,  in  their  mode  of  saying  their 
devotions  and  of  peifoiming  their  ablations. 

*'  Whilst  at  their  prayers,  they  keep  tlieir  arms  crossed  in  fix>nt 
of  them  fi'om  the  wrist  upwards  only,  instead  of  keeping  them  by 
their  side  like  the  Persians. 

**  Although  they  follow  pretty  regularly  the  precepts  of  their 
religion,  they  show  less  fanaticism  and  ostentatious  bigotry  than 
most  other  Easterns  whom  I  have  seen.  For  instance,  they  will 
consent  to  smoke  and  eat  with  Jews. 

"  Every  Tm'coman  has  an  affection  for  his  tribe,  and  will  devote 
himself,  if  need  be,  for  tlie  common  weal.  Their  proper  and  dignified 
manners  are  far  beyond  a  compaiison  with  those  of  their  neigh- 
boui's — even  tlie  inhabitants  of  Boukhara  and  Khiva,  whose  morals 
have  become  coiTupted  to  a  painfid  degi'ee.  I  have  seldom  seen 
<paiTels  and  disturbtuices  amongst  tlie  Turcomans.  Sometimes 
I  have  been  present  at  very  lively  tmd  animated  discussions,  bat 
I  never  heard  any  low  abuse  or  bad  language  as  in  otlier  countries. 
Tliey  are  less  hai'sh  towards  their  women,  and  show  them  more 
consideration  and  respect  than  do  the  Pei*sians. 

**  AMien  strangers  ai'e  present,  the  women  pass  an  end  of  their 
veil  mider  tlieir  chin  and  speak  in  a  low  voice,  but  they  are  saluted 
and  respected  by  the  visitor's,  and  enter  into  convereation  with 
them  w^ithout  any  harm  being  thought  of  it. 

**A  woman  can  go  from  one  tribe  to  another,  or  make  a 
jouniey  along  an  unfrequented  road,  without  having  to  fear  the 
least  insult  from  anv  one. 

"When  a  Turcoman  pays  a  visit  he  makes  his  ap2)earance  in 
one  invariable  manner.  He  lifts  the  door  of  the  tent,  bowing  as 
lie  enters,  then  comes  to  a  stop  and  di'aws  himself  u^)  to  his  full 
heiglit :  after  a  pause  of  a  few  seconds,  during  which  he  keeps  his 
eyes  iixed  on  tlie  dome  of  the  tent,  probably  to  give  the  women 
time  to  cover  tlieir  chins,  he  quietly  pronounces  his  salutation 
without  making  tlie  slightest  gesture.  After  exchanging  ci^dlities 
and  inquiiies  about  the  health  of  relations  and  friends,  the  master 
of  the  tent  begs  the  visitor  to  take  a  seat  on  the  caii)et  beside 
him.  The  wife  then  offers  liim  a  napkin  with  a  little  bread,  or 
bread  and  water,  or  some  sour  milk,  or  a  little  fruit.  The 
stranger  discreetly  only  takes  a  few  mouthfuls  of  what  is  offered 
to  him." 


238  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

The  Kirghis. — The  Kirghis  (fig.  107)  are  a  nomadic  tribe. 
They  inhabit  the  tract  of  countr}'  situated  on  tlie  frontiers  of  the 
Eussian  and  Chinese  empires.  They  wander  to  and  fro  on  wide 
spreading  x^ains  from  lake  Baikal  to  the  borders  of  the  Siberian 
steppes* 

They  travel  armed,  and  always  prepared,  either  for  war  or  for 
the  chase.  As  wild  beasts  attack  men  when  by  themselves,  they 
nearly  always  travel  on  horseback  in  troops. 

For  tlie  matter  of  that,  the  Kirghis  never  get  oft"  their  horses. 
All  business  is  settled,  and  all  merchandise  is  bought  and  sold, 
on  horeeback.  There  is  in  a  to\vn,  by  name  Shouraiahan,  where 
tlie  sedentary  Kirgliis  reside,  a  market-place  where  buj-ere  and 
sellers  do  all  their  business  without  leaving  the  saddle.  The 
Kirghis  are  much  below  the  middle  height.  Theii*  countenances 
are  ugly.  Haidng  scarcely  any  bridge  to  their  nose,  the  space 
between  their  eyes  is  flat  and  quite  on  a  level  with  the  rest  of 
their  face.  Their  eyes  are  long  and  half  closed,  the  forehead 
l)rotrudes  at  the  lower  part,  and  reti*eats  at  the  top.  Their  big 
pufiFy  cheeks  look  like  two  pieces  of  raw  flesh  stuck  on  the 
sides  of  their  face.  They  have  but  little  beard,  tlieir  body  is»not 
at  all  muscular,  and  their  complexion  is  a  dark  brown. 

The  Kii'ghis  are  sometliing  like  the  Uzbeks,  a  race  whom  we 
can  only  just  mention,  but  tlie  latter,  living  in  a  temperate  climate, 
are  tall  and  well  made,  while  the  former,  under  the  hifluence  of  a 
rigorous  one,  are  short  and  stunted. 

Both  these  people  possess  a  ceilain  kind  of  civilization  in  si)ite 
of  their  nomadic  habits.  In  the  districts  m  which  they  are  in  the 
custom  of  travelling,  they  have  established  relays  of  hoi-ses,  a  very 
necessary  adjunct  to  tlieii*  mode  of  Ufe. 

The  Nogaijs, — The  Nogays,  who  once  constituted  a  i)owerfuI 
nation  on  the  shores  of  the  Black  Sea,  are  now  scattered  among 
other  peoples.  Many  of  them  still  wander  in  nomadic  tribes,  on 
the  steppes  between  the  banks  of  the  Volga  and  the  Caucasian 
moimtains.  Others  who  have  settled  down  ai*e  tillers  of  the  soil 
or  artisans.  Such  are  those  to  be  met  with  in  the  Crimea  or 
in  Aistracan.  M.  Vereschaguine  came  across  some  Nogays  on  the 
Caucasian  steppes.  This  Bussian  ti^aveller  says  that  they  are 
l)eaceful  and  laborious,  and  more  capable  of  becoming  attached  to 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH.  239 

the  soil  than  the  Kalinuks,  whom  they  resemhle  a  great  deal  in 
their  mode  of  life  and  in  theii*  habits  and  customs. 

The  Osmanlis. — Tlxe  most  important  membei*s  of  the  Turkish 
family  are  now  the  Osmanlis.  The  OsmanUs  were  the  founders 
of  the  Tm'kish  Empire  and  the  conquerors  of  Constantinople. 

A  tendency  to  a  nomadic  mode  of  life  is  a  strong  instinct  with 
this  race.  It  degenerated  as  soon  as  it  settled  down  anywhere, 
and  this  perhaps  is  the  cause  of  the  decline  of  the  Turkish  nation, 
which  at  present  inhabits  south-eastern  Europe  and  Asia  Minor. 

The  residence  in  Em^ope  and  the  civilization  of  the  Osmanli 
Turks  date  from  tlic  Hegira  of  Mahomet  in  the  seventh  century 
after  Christ. 

Physically  speaking,  their  outlines  would  seem  to  ally  them  to 
the  Caucasian  race.  This  was  the  reason  that  the}'  were  so  long 
classified  among  the  White  or  Caucasian  race  ;  but  most  modern 
anthropologists  place  them  in  the  Yellow  Ilace. 

^The  head  of  the  Osmanli  Turks  is  nearly  round.  The  fore- 
head is  high  and  broad :  the  nose  is  straight,  without  any 
<Iepression  at  its  bridge  or  widening  at  the  nostrils. 

The  Tiu'kish  head  does  not  resemble  the  Em-opean  head.  It 
has  a  peculiar  abrupt  elevation  of  the  occiput.  Its  proportions, 
however,  are  very  good.  Mongol  descent  can  be  traced  in  its 
shape,  but  scarcely  in  a  perceptible  manner,  if  the  features  of  the 
face  alone  are  to  be  taken  into  account. 

The  Tm-ks,  in  general,  are  tall,  well  made,  robust  men,  with  a 
rough  but  often  noble  physiognomy,  a  slightly  tawny  complexion, 
and  brown  or  black  hair.  Their  carriage  is  dignified,  and  then* 
natural  gravity  is  still  fmlher  increased  by  the  ample  folds  of 
their  dress,  by  their  beard,  by  their  moustachios,  and  by  that 
imposing  head-dress,  the  turban.  They  are  the  most  recent  of  all 
the  races  of  Asian  descent  who  have  become  Europeanized,  and 
they  still  preserve,  especially  in  Tm'key  in  Asia,  the  habits,  the 
costumes,  and  tlie  beUef  that  distinguished  them  three  centuries 
ago. 

Now,  as  then,  the  Turks,  like  Easteras  in  general,  restrict 
themselves  to  a  frugal  and  principally  vegetable  diet.  They 
drink  no  wine.  Bodily  exercises,  such  as  riding  on  horseback 
and  the  use  of  arms,  develope  their  strength.  Their  hospitality 
is  dignified  and  ceremonious.     They  are  small  talkers,  are  much 


240  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

given  to  devotion,  at  least  to  its  outward  and  visible  signs ;  and 
they  dwell  in  quiet  unpretending  houses  surrounded  by  gardens. 
The  Turk  is  a  stranger  to  the  feverish  life  of  our  European 
capitals.  Lazily  reclining  on  his  cushions,  he  smokes  his  Syrian 
tobacco,  sips  his  Arabian  cofiFee,  and  seeks  from  a  few  grains  of 
opium  an  introduction  into  the  land  of  dreams. 

Such  is  Turkish  life  among  the  higher  classes.  The  common 
]r)eople  and  the  laboiu'ere  have  none  of  these  refinements  of 
existence.  Yet  the  lower  classes  ai'e  less  imhappy  in  Turkey^ 
and  in  the  East  in  general,  than  are  those  of  Eiu*opean  nations. 
Eastern  hospitality  is  not  an  empty  word.  A  wealthy  Mussul- 
man never  sends  empty  away  the  \vretched  who  seek  his  assistance. 
Besides,  it  takes  so  little  to  support  these  temperate  healthy 
people,  and  the  earth  so  plentifully  supplies  vegetable  produce  in 
the  East,  that  poor  people  can  always  find  food  and  a  roof  to  cover 
tliem.  The  Caravanserai  are  public  inns  where  travellers  and 
workmen  are  lodged  for  nothing ;  and  the  hospitality  shown  to 
the  unfortunate  wa^-farer  by  the  country  land-owners  is  really 
patriarchal. 

Polygamy  is  less  in  vogue  in  Turkey  and  in  the  East  than  is 
supposed.  A  Turkish  woman  being  a  very  expensive  luxury, 
that  is  to  say,  being  in  the  habit  of  doing  nothing  and  of  spending 
a  great  deal,  it  is  only  very  rich  Mussulmans  that  can  allow 
themselves  the  pleasm^e  of  supporting  more  than  one  wife* 
Sometimes,  indeed,  the  bride's  parents  insert  a  clause  in  the 
mari'iage  contract,  by  which  the  husband  gives  up  his  right  as  a 
Mahometan  to  possess  four  wives. 

Besides  their  legitimate  wives,  the  wealthy  and  the  great  keep 
a  collection  of  Georgian  and  Circassian  slaves  in  the  lonely  sets 
of  rooms,  closed  by  Eastern  jealousy  to  all  prying  eyes,  which  are 
called  hirems  and  not  seraglios.  It  is  only  within  these  isolated 
apartments  that  Turkish  women,  whether  wives  or  concubines, 
allow  their  faces  and  arms  to  be  seen.  Out  of  doors  they  are 
always  wrapped  up  in  a  triple  set  of  veils,  w^hich  conceal  their 
features  from  the  keenest  eye. 

Mahomet  permitted  women  to  abstain  from  taking  part  in 
public  prayer  in  the  mosques.  It  is  therefore  only  in  the  interior 
of  the  harem  that  any  gathering  of  Mussulman  women  can  take 
place.  It  is  there,  too,  that  they  give  one  another  parties  and 
entertainments. 


UONOOLIAN    BRANCH. 


An  erroneous  impression  of  the  Turkisli  woman's  position  is 
prevalent  in  Europe.     Many  European  women  would  be  glad  to 


ezehangfl  tlieir  lot  in  life  and  their  liberty  for  the  supposed 
daver;  of  the  Turkish  women.     Of  course  we  are  only  alluding 


242  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

here  to  their  material  position,  and  not  speaking  from  a  moral 
point  of  view. 

The  Turkish  lady  is  bom  to  total  and  complete  idleness.  A 
young  girl  who,  at  fourteen  years  of  age,  can  not  only  sew  fEdrly, 
but  can  actually  read,  is  considered  a  very  well  educated  person. 
If  she  can  also  write,  and  is  acquainted  with  the  first  one  or  two 
rules  of  arithmetic,  she  is  quite  learned.  The  woman  of  the 
middle  classes  never  condescends  to  trade,  she  is  ahmys  idOe. 
Even  the  poor  woman  rarely  works,  and  then  only  when  it  suite 
her. 

The  Turkish  woman  then,  to  whatever  class  she  may  happen  to 
belong,  is  a  votary  of  the  far  niente.  To  drive  away  ennui,  the 
wealtliier  make  or  receive  visits  or  frequent  parties.  In  llie 
harems  of  the  rich,  each  lady  receives  her  friends  in  her  om 
room.  There  they  talk,  sing,  or  teU  one  another  stories.  Tbtf 
listen  to  music,  they  go  to  pantomimes,  to  dances,  and  waOk-ift 
the  gardens.  They  pass  the  long  hours  agreeably  by  tfikiwgjjiiliMi 
together,  by  swinging  in  hammocks,  by  smoking  the  ^firgpjlhfr 
and  by  giving  elegant  little  dinner  parties. 

An  evening  party  in  a  harem  (la  Kalva)  is  rather  M^i^n^ 
occurrence,  for  night  festivities  are  not  among  Tifiiririiilmnij  ljii|iri 
No  man  is  present  at  these  parties.  As  the  guests  amijii^vie 
lady  of  the  house  begs  them  to  be  seated,  and  places  thcsn  aide 
by  side  on  a  divan  with  their  legs  crossed  under  them,  or  Ift^Tijjyftg 
on  one  knee.  Coffee  and  a  tchibouk  with  an  amber  montlipiBee 
are  handed  round.  SmaU  portions  of  fruit  jeUy  are  served  on  • 
silver  embossed  dish.  Each  guest,  after  a  little  cexBfQomaat 
hesitation,  helps  herself  with  the  only  spoon  in  the  didl,  et^ 
which  everybody  uses.  Each  then  puts  her  lips  to  a.  Iil|i^ 
tumbler  of  water  which  follows  the  jelly.  ^, 

General  and  animated  conversation  then  begins.  The  sudds 
of  the  lady  of  the  house  seat  themselves  so  that  every  one  ean 
see  them,  and  begin  to  sing,  accompan}dng  themselves  on  the  harp, 
on  the  mandolin,  on  little  kettledrums,  or  on  tambourines.  After- 
wards other  young  girls  go  through  a  kind  of  pantomimic  dance. 
When  the  music  and  the  dances  are  over,  they  play  games  of 
cards,  and  the  party  winds  up  with  a  supper  (fig.  109). 

Pleasure  out  of  doors  has  other  attractions.  The  Turkish 
ladies  of  the  middle  class  frequent  the  bazaars  and  pay  one 
another  visits. 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH.  243 

There  are  three  kinds  of  these  visits :  visits  that  have  been 
announced  beforehand,  unexpected  visits,  and  chance  visits.  The 
last  are  the  most  curious.     Several  ladies  collect  together  and  go 


about  in  the  different  quarters  of  the  to^vn,  paying  visits  to  people 
whom  they  have  never  seen  (fig.  109), 

Walking  parties  in  Constantinople  are  regular  picnics.  On 
Sundays  and  Fridays  people  leave  town  provided  with  all  sorts  of 
refreshments.  The  sultans  have  constructed  on  some  of  the 
public  walks  overhanging  terraces,  which  overlook  pieces  of  water 


244  THE   YELLOW    RACK 

and  form  level  plots  of  ground.  Tumblers  and  conjurors, 
musicians  and  dancers  give  performances  on  these  terraces. 
Picturesque  knots  of  women  clad  in  their  white  yaachmacs^  which 
cover  the  whole  face  and  only  reveal  the  nose,  are  to  be  seen 
there.  Long  flowing  overdresses  of  a  thousand  different  hues 
envelope  the  rest  of  their  figure. 

The  Turk  may  be  lazy,  but  he  is  not  at  all  unsociable,  and 
many  of  his  characteristics  indicate  a  great  deal  of  gentleness. 
Like  the  Indians  and  the  ancient  Egyptians,  the  Turks,  and 
Easterns  in  general,  have  a  great  repugnance  to  the  killing  of 
animals.  Dogs  and  cats  abound  and  swarm  in  the  streets  of  the 
large  towns,  but  no  measures  are  ever  taken  to  prevent  the 
multiplication  and  the  running  wild  of  these  animals.  In 
Constantinople  flocks  of  pigeons  fly  hither  and  thither  and  levy, 
on  the  barges  laden  with  wheat,  a  species  of  black  mail  that  no 
one  disputes  with  them.  The  banks  of  the  canals  are  thickly 
peopled  with  aquatic  animals,  and  their  nests  are  safe  even  from 
the  hands  of  children,  in  our  country  such  cruel  enemies  to 
their  broods.  This  forbearance  is  extended  even  to  trees.  If  it 
is  true  that  in  China  tlie  law  requires  every  land  owner  who  fells 
a  tree  to  plant  one  in  its  stead  in  another  spot,  it  is  equally 
true  in  Turkey  that  custom  forbids  an  avaricious  land  owner  from 
depriving  either  town  or  country  of  useful  and  wholesome  shade. 
The  wealthy  townsmen  make  it  a  point  of  honour  to  embellish 
the  public  promenades  witli  fountains  and  with  resting  places, 
both  of  which,  on  account  of  the  frequency  of  ablutions  and  of 
prayers  required  by  the  Mahometan  religion,  are  indispensable. 
Those  who  can  only  perceive  in  the  Turkish  nation  coarseness, 
ignorance,  and  ferocity,  have  been  deceived  by  the  pride  natural  to 
a  Mussulman,  which  is  made  the  more  offensive  by  his  silent  and 
sometimes  abrupt  manners  ;  but  the  basis  of  the  Mussuhnan 
character  contains  nothing  to  offend.  The  Turks  are  only  what 
it  is  possible  for  them  to  be  with  their  lamentable  institutions 
and  their  faulty  laws. 

Their  law  we  know  is  simply  despotism,  which  is  carried  out 
from  the  sultan  down  to  the  lowest  official,  unchecked  by  anj;.. 
guarantee  of  equity  or  of  justice  to  individuals.     The   Bultaat;'*- 
(padishah,    meaning    great    lord)    appoints    and    dismisses    al? 
pleasure  every  dignitary  and  every  official :  he  is  the  master  of 
their  fortunes  and  of  their  life.    But  anarchy  is  rife   in  the 


246  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

kingdom^  and  the  sultan's  authority  is  not  always  obeyed. 
Pachas  have  attacked  and  annihilated  the  troops  sent  to  drive 
them  from  their  governorships ;  others  have  been  known  to  dis- 
patch to  Constantinople  the  head  of  the  general  sent  to  crush 
and  degrade  them. 

The  pachas  are  the  governors  of  the  provinces.  Their  rank  is 
reckoned  by  the  number  of  their  standards  or  tails.  They  unite 
under  one  head  the  military  and  civil  power,  and  by  a  still 
greater  abuse,  they  are  deputed  to  collect  the  taxes.  They 
would  be  absolute  sultans  in  their  own  provinces  if  the  law  did 
not  leave  the  judicial  authority  in  the  hands  of  the  cadis  and  the 
ndibs. 

A  pacha  with  three  tails  has,  like  the  sultan,  the  power  of  life 
and  death  over  all  the  agents  he  employs,  and  even  over  all  who 
threaten  public  safety.  He  keeps  up  a  military  force,  and  marches 
at  their  head  when  called  on  by  the  sultan.  A  pacha  has  under 
his  orders  several  beys,  or  lieutenant-governors. 

The  interior  organization  of  Turkey  may  be  described  as  a 
military  despotism.  The  Turkish  nation  continues  to  administer 
its  conquest  as  if  it  were  a  country  taken  by  assault ;  it  leads  the 
life  of  an  army  encamped  in  the  midst  of  a  conquered  state. 
Everybody  and  everjiihing  is  the  property  of  the  sultan. 
Christians,  Jews,  and  Armenians  are  merely  the  slaves  of  the 
victorious  Ottoman.  Tlie  sultan  graciously  allows  them  to  live, 
but  even  this  concession  they  are  obliged  to  purchase  by  paying  a 
tribute,  the  receipt  for  which  bears  these  words:  "In  purchase  of 
the  head.'* 

The  same  principle  is  carried  out  in  regard  to  land.  The 
Turks  have  no  proprietary  rights;  they  merely  enjoy  the  usu- 
fruct of  their  possessions.  Wlien  they  die  without  leaving 
a  male  child,  the  sultan  inherits  their  property.  Sons  can 
only  claim  a  tenth  part  of  their  paternal  inheritance,  and  the 
fiscal  officials  are  ordered  to  put  an  arbitrary  value  on  this 
tenth  part.  The  officers  of  the  Sta#  do  not  even  enjoy 
this  incomplete  right;  at  their  death  everything  reverts  to  the 
sultan. 

Under  such  laws,  it  is  not  to  b^  wondered  at  if  nobody  cares 
to  undertake  expensive  and  lasting  works.  Instead  of  build- 
ing, people  collect  jewels  and  wealth  easy  to  carry  off  or  to 
conceal. 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH,  247 

The  sultan,  like  a  man  embarrassed  with  such  an  abuse  of 
power,  shifts  the  cares  of  government  on  to  the  shoulders  of  the 
grand  vizier. 

The  grand  vizier  is  the  lieutenant  of  the  sultan.  He  is  the 
conmiander-in-chief  of  the  army,  he  manages  the  finances,  and 
fills  up  all  civil  and  military  appointments. 

But  if  the  power  of  the  grand  vizier  is  limitless,  his  responsi- 
bility and  the  dangers  he  incurs  are  equally  great.  He  must 
answer  for  all  the  State's  misfortunes  and  for  all  public  calami- 
ties. The  sword  is  always  suspended  over  his  head.  Surroimded 
by  snares,  exposed  to  all  the  tricks  of  hatred  and  envy,  he  pays 
with  the  price  of  his  life  the  misfortune  of  having  displeased 
either  the  populace  or  the  highest  officials.  The  grand  vizier  has 
to  govern  the  country,  with  the  assistance  of  a  state  council 
(divan)  composed  of  tlie  principal  ministers.  The  reiss  effendi  is 
the  high  chancellor  of  the  empire,  and  the  head  of  the  corpora- 
tion of  the  kodja,  or  men  of  letters.  This  corporation,  which  has 
managed  to  acquire  a  gi'eat  political  influence,  contains  at  the 
present  time  some  of  the  best  informed  men  of  the  nation. 
The  duty  of  watching  over  the  preservation  of  the  fundamental 
laws  of  the  empire  is  entrusted  to  the  uleina,  or  corporation  of 
theological  and  legal  doctors. 

These  laws  are  very  short :  they  consist  only  of  the  Koran,  and 
of  the  commentaries  on  the  Koran  drawn  up  by  ancient  pundits. 
The  members  of  this  corporation  beai*  the  title  of  idemas,  or 
effendis.  They  unite  judicial  to  religious  authority  ;  they  are  at 
the  same  time  the  interpreters  of  religion,  and  the  judges  in  all 
civil  and  criminal  matters. 

The  mufti  is  the  supreme  head  of  tlie  ulema.     He  is  the  head 

of  the  church.     He  represents  the  sultan's  vicar,  as  caliph  or 

successor  to  Mahomet.     The  sultan  can  promulgate  no  law,  make 

no  declaration  of  war,  institute  no  tax,  without  having  obtained  a 

fetfa^  or  approval  fi*om  the  mufti. 

The  mufti  presents  every  year  to  the  sultan  the  candidates  for 
the  leading  judicial  magistracies;  these  candidates  are  chosen 
from  the  members  of  the  ulema.  The  post  of  mufti  would  be 
an  excellent  counterpoise  to  the  authority  of  the  sultan,  if  the 
latter  had  it  not  in  his  power  to  dismiss  the  mufti,  to  send  him 
into  exile,  and  even  to  condemn  him  to  death. 

The  foregoing  political  and  judicial  organization  seems  at  first 


248  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

sight  very  reasonable,  and  would  appear  to  yield  some  guarantee 
to  the  subjects  of  the  Porte.  Dishonesty  unfortunately  prevents 
the  regular  progress  of  these  administrative  institutions.  The 
venality  of  officiab,  their  greed  and  their  immorality,  are  such,  that 
not  the  smallest  post,  not  the  slightest  service,  can  be  obtained 
without  making  them  a  present.  Places,  the  judges'  decisions, 
and  the  witnesses*  evidence  are  all  bought.  False  witnesses 
abound  in  no  country  in  the  shameless  way  they  do  in  the 
Turkish  empire,  where  the  consequences  of  their  peijury  are  the 
more  frightful,  since  the  cadi's  decision  is  without  appeal* 
Justice  is  meted  out  in  Tm*key  as  it  was  meted  out  three 
hundred  years  ago  among  the  nomadic  tribes  of  the  Osmanlis. 
After  a  few  contradictory  pieces  of  evidence,  after  a  few  oaths 
made  on  both  sides,  witliout  any  preliminary  inquiry,  and  without 
any  advocates,  the  cadi  or  simply  the  naib,  gives  a  decision, 
based  upon  some  passage  of  the  Koran.  The  penal  code  of  this 
ignorant  and  hasty  tribunal  merely  consists  in  fining  the  wealthy, 
in  inflicting  the  bastinado  on  the  common  people,  and  in  hanging 
criminals  right  out  of  hand. 

Yet  Turkey  possesses  a  kind  of  system  of  popular  representa- 
tion. The  inhabitants  of  Constantinople  elect  ayams,  real  dele- 
gates of  the  people,  whose  business  it  is  to  watch  over  the  safety 
and  the  property  of  individuals,  the  tranquillity  of  the  town,  to 
oppose  the  unjust  demands  of  the  pachas,  the  excesses  of  the 
military,  and  the  unfair  collection  of  taxes.  These  duties  are 
gratuitously  performed  by  the  most  trustworthy  men  among  the 
inhabitants.  The  ayams  undertake  all  appeals  to  the  pacha, 
when  there  exist  any  just  grounds  of  complaint,  and  if  he  does 
not  satisfy  them,  they  carry  their  appeal  to  the  sultan. 

Every  trade  and  handicraft  in  Turkey  possesses  a  kind  of  goild 
or  corporation  which  imdertakes  to  defend  the  rights  of  the 
association  and  of  its  individual  members.  The  humblest  artisan 
is  protected  in  all  legal  matters  by  this  corporation.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  say  that  the  corporation  enforces  its  rights  before 
the  judges  by  pecimiary  means. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  imagine  that  the  Mussulman  religion 
predominates  in  Turkey.  In  Turkey  in  Europe,  not  more  than 
a  quarter  of  the  population  profess  the  creed  of  Mahomet.  The 
remainder  are  Christians,  subdivided  into  the  leading  sects  of 
that  faith.     The  Greeks,  the  Servians,  the  Walachians,  and  tlie 


MONGOLIAN   BRANCH. 


inhabitants  of  Montenegro  belong  to  the  eastern  Greek  Church. 
The  Armenians  are  numerous,  and  are  the  more  powerful  on 


acGoont   of  their   known   character   foi    austentj    nnd   honesty 
Other  rehgious  communities,  such  as  the  Jakobites,  called  hopta 


260  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

in  Egypt,  the  Nestorians,  and  the  Maronites,  have  some  influence, 
from  the  unity  which  reigns  among  their  diiBTerent  sects ;  the 
Druzes,  for  instance,  defy  the  Mahometans  to  their  very  face. 
There  are  more  Jews  in  Turkey  in  Europe,  than  in  any  other 
country. 

All  these  brotherhoods,  excepting  the  Druzes  and  the 
Maronites,  were  formerly  deprived  of  the  free  right  of  worship, 
were  liable  to  marks  of  ignominy,  and  were  handed  over,  defence- 
less, to  injustice.  But  in  the  beginning  of  our  century,  an  edict 
of  the  sultan  declared  all  his  subjects,  regardless  of  their  religion, 
equal  in  the  eyes  of  the  law. 

Mahometanism,  which  prevails  in  Turkey,  and  in  the  greater 
portion  of  the  East,  dates  from  the  610th  year  of  <tnr  era.  Its 
principal  doctrines  are  purification,  prayer,  and  fieusting.  The 
fasting  takes  place  in  the  month  of  Ramazafiy  a  month  which  is 
the  Mussulman^s  Lent,  and  during  which  all  food  must  be  abstained 
from  in  the  daytime.  It  is  followed  by  the  festival  of  Beyram, 
during  which  the  faithful  are  allowed  to  make  up  for  their  preced- 
ing abstinence.  A  legal  clmrity  is  instituted  by  their  creed.  It 
consists  in  giving  every  year  to  the  poor  a  fortieth  part  of  their 
movable  property.  Another  religious  injunction  is  the  pilgrim- 
age to  Mecca,  which  every  Mussulman  is  obliged  to  undertake  at 
least  once  in  his  lifetime. 

Their  devotions  take  place  five  times  a  day.  Friday  is  the  day 
of  rest  for  the  Maliometans,  as  Sunday  is  that  of  the  Christians, 
and  Saturday  that  of  the  Jews. 

Mahometanism  has  inherited  from  the  ancient  Arabs  the 
praetice  of  circumcision.  Mussulman^  are  forbidden  to  drink  in- 
toxicating drinks,  but  are  allowed  to  marry  four  wives,  and  to 
make  concubines  of  their  female  slaves.  Their  religion  deprives 
them  of  all  liberty  of  will,  as  it  tells  them  that  everything  that 
can  happen,  either  for  evil  or  for  good,  is  settled  beforehatid.  It 
is  this  fatalism  that  paralyzes  all  individual  enterprise,  and  pre- 
vents the  march  of  progress. 

Mahometanism  has  not  been  more  exempt  than  other  creeds 
from  schisms,  which  have  brought  to  pass  religious  wars  always 
so  terrible  in  their  consequences. 

Its  precepts,  which  have  their  advantages  from  a  religious  point 
of  view,  have  many  disastrous  consequences  when  we  regard  man- 
kind's physical  constitution.     The  interdict  on  the  use  of  wine, 


MONQOLIAN    BRAIfCH. 


for  instance,  has  given  rise  to  the  secret  coDsomption  of  alcoholic 
drinlcs,  and  to  the  public  use  of  opium. 


The  TnrkS)  although  their  literary  civilization  is  still   in  its 
infant^,  posBess  a  system  of  public  education.     The  mosques  of 


252  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

Constantinople^  of  Broussa,  and  of  Adrianople,  have  colleges 
attached  to  them.  Young  men  are  sent  from  all  parts  of  the 
Mussulman  empire  to  these  colleges,  where  they  receive  some 
amount  of  education.  When  they  have  finished  their  course  of 
study,  in  which  the  commentaries  on  the  Koran  play  the  prin- 
cipal part,  and  when  several  examinations  have  tested  their 
proficiency,  the  pupils  receive  tlie  title  of  mudir  or  professor. 
All  civil  and  judicial  posts  are  monopolized  hy  this  educated 
class. 

But  in  Turkey,  what  knowledge  there  is,  remains  absorbed 
among  a  small  quantity  of  individuals ;  no  channel  exists  for  the 
free  intercommunication  of  ideas. 

Their  kodjas,  or  writers,  have  indeed  given  their  fellow  country- 
men a  large  number  of  works,  much  esteemed  by  them — ^works  on 
the  Arabic  and  Persian  languages,  on  philosophy,  on  morality,  on 
Mussulman  history,  and  on  the  geography  of  their  country.  But 
these  writings,  whatever  their  value,  never  reach  the  mass  of  the 
nation.  There  are  but  few  printing  presses  in  Turkey;  the 
cop3rist*s  art,  such  as  it  existed  in  Europe  in  the  middle  ages,  still 
flourishes  there.  The  state  of  literature  in  Turkey  shows  us 
what  modem  civilization  would  have  become  in  Europe,  without 
the  assistance  of  the  printer. 

With  this  general  want  of  literary  and  scientific  knowledge,  we 
naturally  expect  to  find  Turkey  far  behindhand  in  art,  in  manu- 
factures, and  in  agriculture.  The  latter,  in  fact,  is  in  a  sad  state 
throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  Ottoman  empire.  Manufac- 
tures exist  in  a  few  towns ;  in  Constantinople,  in  Salonica,  in 
Adrianople,  and  in  Rustchuk.  Their  principal  manufactures 
are  carpets,  morocco  leather^  a  little  sUk,  tliread  and  swords. 
Their  commerce  consists  in  the  export  of  their  raw  produce ;  such 
as  wool,  silk,  cotton,  leather,  tobacco,  and  metals,  particularly 
copper ;  wine,  oil,  and  dried  fruit  are  also  largely  exported.  The 
Turks  are  good  cloth  manufacturers,  gunsmiths,  and  tanners. 
Their  works  in  steel  and  copper,  and  their  dyes,  are  equal  to  the 
best  articles  of  European  manufacture. 

The  Greeks,  who  are  very  numerous  in  Turkey,  follow  all  kinds 
of  trades  and  callings.  They  make  the  best  sailors  of  the  Otto- 
man empire,  while  the  Armenians  are  its  keenest  traders.  The 
latter  travel  all  over  the  interior  of  Asia  and  India ;  they  liave 
branch  estabUshments  and  correspondents  everywhere.     Most  of 


MONGOLIAN    BRANCH.  253 

them,  while  pursuing  some  mechanical  art,  are  at  the  same  time 
the  bankers,  the  purveyors,  and  the  men  of  business  of  the  pachas, 
and  other  great  officials.  Jews  show  in  a  less  favourable  light  in 
Turkey  than  in  Europe ;  any  business  suits  them,  if  they  can 
make  something  out  of  it. 

Figs.  Ill  and  112  represent  two  common  Turkish  types — a 
barber  and  a  street  porter. 


CHAPTEK  ni. 

SINAIC  BRANCH. 

The  nations  belonging  to  the  Sinaic  branch  (from  the  Latta 
Situe,  ChineBe)  have  not  tlie  features  of  the  Yellow  Race  ao  well 
defined  as  those  belonging  to  the  Mongolian  branch.  Their  nose 
is  less  flattened,  their  figures  are  better,  and  they  are  taller. 


They  early  ncquired  ratlier  a  high  degree  of  eivilization,  but  they 
have  since  remained  stationary,  and  their  culture,  formerly  one  of 
the  most  advanced  in  the  world,  is  now  veiy  second  rate  compared 
to  the  progress  made  by  the  inhabitants  of  Europe  and  America. 
Chemical  and  mechanical  arts  were  early  practised  and  carried 


256  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

very  far  by  nations  belonging  to  the  Sinaic  branch.  Living 
under  a  despotic  government,  and  accustomed  to  abjectly  cringe 
to  those  in  authority,  this  race  developed  a  peculiar  taste  for 
ceremony  and  etiquette.  Their  language  is  monosyllabic,  their 
writing  is  hieroglyphic,  and  these  facts  perhaps  account  for  the 
scant  progress  made  by  their  civilization  in  modem  times. 

The  Sinaic  branch  comprises  the  Chinese,  the  Japanese,  and 
the  Indo-Chinese  families. 


The   Chinese   Family. 

The  Chinese,  amongst  whom,  out  of  all  the  Yellow  Race,  civili- 
zation was  the  first  to  develop  itself,  have  the  following  charac* 
teristic  features.  Width  and  flatness  in  the  subocular  part  of  the 
face,  prominent  cheek  bones,  and  obliquely  set  eyes.  Their 
features  as  a  whole  iiartake  of  the  type  of  the  Mongol  race :  that 
is  to  say,  they  have  a  broad  coarse  face,  high  cheek  bones,  heavy 
jaws,  a  flat  bridge  to  their  nose,  wide  nostrils,  obliquely  set  eyes, 
straight  and  plentiful  hair,  of  a  brownish  black  colour  with  a  red 
tint  in  it,  thick  eyebrows,  scanty  beards,  and  a  yellowish  red 
complexion. 

They  constitute  the  principal  population  of  the  vast  empire  of 
China,  and  extend  even  further.  Many  have  settled  in  Indo* 
China,  in  the  islands  of  the  Straits,  and  in  the  Philippine  ifilanda. 
China  in  four  thousand  years  has  been  governed  by  twenty-eight 
dynasties.  The  emperor  is  merely  an  ornamental  wheel  in  the 
mechanism  of  the  Chinese  government,  the  councillors  possess- 
ing the  real  power.  Centralization  plays  a  powerful  part  in  the 
administrative  organization  of  the  coimtry.  The  emperor's 
authority  is  founded  on  a  secular  and  patriarchal  respect,  bound- 
less in  its  influence.  Veneration  for  old  age  is  a  law  of  the  state* 
Infirm  old  men,  too  poor  to  hire  litters,  are  often  seen  in  the 
streets  of  Pekin,  seated  in  little  hand  carriages,  dragged  about  by 
their  grandchildren.  As  they  pass,  the  young  people  about 
receive  them  respectfully,  and  leave  oflf  for  the  moment  their  play 
or  their  work.  The  government  encourages  these  feelings  by 
giving  yellow  dresses  to  very  old  men.  This  is  the  highest  mark 
of  distinction  a  private  individual  can  receive,  for  yellow  is  the 
colour  reserved  for  the  members  of  the  imperial  family. 

Their  respect  for  their  ancestors  is  also  carried  very  far  by  the 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 


Cbioese.     They  practise  a  kind  of  family  worship   in   their 
honour. 


There  are  many  different  creeds  in  China.    Tlie  Buddhist 
faith,  so  widely  spread  in  Asia,  is  the  most  general;  hut  the  higher 


THE   YELLOW   RACE. 


classes  follow  the  precepts  of  ConAicius.    But  great  religions 
toleration  exists  in  the  Celestial  Empire.     The  men  of  the  higher 


1 16.— CHINZilB    SBOFKKBPnW 


classes  afifect  a  well  founded  contempt  for  the  external  forms  of 
worship,  and  the  mass  of  the  people  do  not  attach  much  import- 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 

anee  to  them.     Many  widely  differing  creeds  are  i 
side  thronghoat  the  whole  empire. 

The  Buddhist  priests  are  called  BoDzea. 


1  side  by 


The  poflition  of  women  is  in  China  a  humble  one.    She  is 
CMtsidered  inferior  to  man,  and  her  birth  is  often  regarded  as  a 
The  young  girl  lives  shut  up  in  her  Other's  house. 


280  THE    rELLOW   RACE. 

she  takes  her  meals  alone,  she  fulfils  the  duties  of  a  senrant  and 
is  considered  one.  Her  calling  is  merely  to  ply  the  needle  and 
to  prepare  the  food.  A  woman  is  her  father's,  her  brother's,  or 
her  hnsband's  property.  A  young  girl  is  given  in  marriage 
without  being  consulted,  without  being  made  acquainted  with  her 
future  husband,  and  often  even  in  ignorance  of  his  name. 

The  wealthy  Chinese  shut  their  wives  up  in  the  women's  apart- 


ments. When  their  lords  and  masters  allow  them  to  pay  one 
another  visits,  or  to  go  and  see  their  parents,  they  go  out  in 
hermetically  closed  litters.  They  live  in  a  wing  of  the  building, 
reserved  for  their  use,  where  no  one  can  see  them. 

It  is  otherwise  amongst  the  poorer  classes.  The  women  go 
out  of  doors  with  their  face  uncovered ;  but  they  pay  dearly  for 
this  privilege,  for  they  are  nothing  but  the  beasts  of  burden  of 
their  husbands.     They  age  very  rapidly. 

Polygamy  exists  in  China,  but  only  on  sufferance.  A  man  of 
rank  may  have  several  wives,  but  the  first  one  only  is  the  legiti* 
mate  one.  Widows  are  not  allowed  to  remarry.  Betrothals  often 
take  place  before  the  future  husband  and  wife  have  reached  the 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 


age  of  puberty.     A  betrothed  girl  who  loses  her  betrothed  can 
never  marrj-  another. 


uo.~m*mda»in' 


A  marriage  ceremony  at  Pekin  takes  place  aa  follows.     The 
bride  goes  in  great  state  to  the  dwelling  of  the  bridegroom,  who 


262  THE   YELLOW   RACK 

receives  her  on  the  threshold.  She  is  dressed  in  garments 
embroidered  with  gold  and  silver.  Her  long  black  tresses  are 
covered  with  precious  stones  and  artificial  flowers.  Her  face  is 
painted,  her  lips  are  reddened,  her  eyebrows  are  blackened,  and 
her  clothes  are  drenched  with  musk.  Many  of  the  Chinese 
women  have  the  complexion  and  the  good  looks  of  Creoles ;  a  tiny 
well  shaped  hand,  pretty  teeth,  splendid  black  hair,  a  slender 
supple  figure,  and  obliquely  set  eyes  with  a  piquancy  of  expression 
that  lends  them  a  peculiar  charm.  The  drawback  to  their 
appearance  is  their  lavish  use  of  paint,  and  their  small  crippled 
feet. 

The  Tartar  and  Chinese  ladies  composing  the  court  of  the 
Empress,  as  well  as  the  wives  of  the  officials  residing  in  the 
capital,  do  nothing  to  distort  their  feet,  except  to  wear  the 
theatrical  buskin,  in  which  it  is  very  difficult  to  walk.  But  a 
Chinese  woman  of  good  middle  class  family  would  think  herself 
disgraced,  and  would  have  a  difficulty  in  getting  a  husband,  unless 
she  had  crippled  her  feet.  This  is  what  is  done  to  give  them  a 
pleasing  appearance.  The  feet  of  little  girls  of  six  years  of  age 
are  tightly  compressed  with  oiled  bandages  ;  the  big  toe  is  bent 
under  the  other  four,  which  are  themselves  folded  down  imder  the 
sole  of  the  foot.  These  bandages  are  drawn  tighter  every 
month.  When  the  girl  has  grown  up,  her  foot  presents  the  appear- 
ance of  a  closed  fist.  Women  with  their  feet  mutilated  in  this 
manner  walk  with  great  difficulty.  They  move  about  with 
a  kind  of  skip,  stretching  out  their  arms  to  keep  their  equi- 
librium. 

Another  of  their  conventional  points  of  beauty  is  to  wear  their 
finger-nails  very  long.  For  fear  of  breaking  them  they  cover 
them  with  little  silver  sheaths,  which  they  also  use  as  ear- 
picks. 

A  quantity  of  toilet  accessories  gives  a  peculiar  appearance  to 
the  costume  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Celestial  Empire.  Fans, 
parasols,  pipes,  snuff-boxes,  tobacco-pouches,  spectacle  cases,  and 
purses,  are  all  hung  at  the  girdle  by  silken  strings.  The  use  of 
the  fan  is  common  to  both  sexes,  of  all  classes. 

The  kang,  at  once  a  bed,  a  sofa,  and  a  chair;  some  mats 
stretched  upon  the  floor;  and  a  few  chairs  or  stools  with  cushions 
on  them,  are  to  be  found  in  every  room  of  a  Chinese  house.  The 
interior  of  these  dwellings  is  a  true  citadel  of  sloth.     The  China- 


SINAIC   BRANCH.  263 

man  squatted  on  his  mat,  dallying  with  his  fan  and  smoking  his 
pipe,  is  amused  at  the  European  who  actually  takes  the  trouble  to 
use  his  legs. 

To  give  a  more  exact  idea  of  domestic  Chinese  life,  we  will 
give  a  few  extracts  from  the  interesting  travels  of  M.  de  Bour- 
boulon,  a  French  consul  in  China,  travels  edited  by  M.  Pous- 
sielgue,  and  published  in  the  '*  Tour  du  Monde  '*  in  1864. 

"  A  Chinese  palace,"  says  M.  Poussielgue,  *'is  thus  laid  out : 

more  than  half  the  site  is  taken  up  with  alleys,  courts,  and  gardens 

crowded  with  rock-work,  rustic  bridges,  fishponds  full  of  gold  fish, 

aviaries  stocked  with  peacocks,  golden  pheasants,  and  partridges 

from  Pe-tche-li,  and  especially  a  quantity  of  painted  and  varnished 

porcelain  and  earthenware  jars,  containing  miniatiu-e  trees,  vines, 

jessamines,  creepers  and  flowers  of  all  kinds.     The  principal  room 

on  the  ground  floor  opens  on  to  the  garden;  a  piece  of  open 

trellis  work  separates    it   from  the    sleeping    apartment.      The 

ground  floor  also  comprises  the  dining-room,  the  kitchen,  and 

sometimes  a  bath-room.     Wlien  there  is  a  second  story,  called 

leou,  it  contains  beds  and  Imnber  rooms.     The  entrance-hall  is 

invariably  sacred  to  the  ancestors  and  to  the  guardian  spirits  of 

the  family.     In  every  room  the  kang,  which  serves  as  a  bed,  a 

sofa,  or  a  chaii* ;  and  thick  mats,  laid  upon  the  floor,  are  to  be  met 

with.  '  The  actual  furnitm-e  is  scanty ;  a  few  chairs  and  stools 

made  of  hard  wood,  with  cushions  placed  on  them ;  a  small  table 

in  red  lacquer  work ;  an  incense  burner ;  some  gilt  or  enamelled 

bronze  candlesticks ;  flower  stands  and  baskets  of  flowers ;  some 

pictures  drawn  on  rice  paper;   and  finally  the  inevitable  tablet 

inscribed   with  some  moral   apothegm,  or  a  dedication  to  the 

ancestors  of  tlie  master  of  the  house.     There  are  no  regular 

windows  ;  a  few  square  openings,  i)ierced  in  the  side  wall  where 

the  rooms  oi)en  on  a  court  or  garden,  or  inserted  beneath  the 

double  beams  supporting  the  roof  where  the  apartment  might  be 

overlooked  from  the  street    or   from  tlie  neighbouring  houses, 

allow  a  dim  light  to  penetrate  through  the  cross  laths  of  their 

wooden  lattices  which  serve  as  fixed   blinds  to  them  (figs.  120 

and  121). 

"  The  wealthy,  abandoning  themselves  to  a  luxurious  idleness, 
spend  half  their  existence  in  these  secluded  chambers;  it  is 
almost  impossible  for  a  European  to  procure  admittance  to  them, 
for  communicative  as  the  Chinese  are  in  business,  at  festivals,  or 


264  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

at  receptions,  they  are  extremely  re3er\'ed  on  all  points  concem- 
in;^  tlieir  domestic  life. 

"  Physical  idleness  is  carried  to  an  enormous  extent  in  China ; 
it  is  considered  ill  bred  to  take  walks,  and  to  use  the  limbs. 

Nothing  surprises  the  natives  more  tlian  the  perpetual  craving  for 


exercise  that  characterizes  Europeans.  .  Squatted  on  their  hams, 
they  light  their  pipe,  toy  with  their  fans,  and  jeer  at  the  European 
passers-by,  whose  firm  measured  footsteps  carry  them  up  and 
down  the  street.  It  is  necessary'  to  make  excuses  for  coming 
neither  on  horseback  nor  in  a  palanquin,  when  paying  an  official 
visit,  for  to  do  so  on  foot  is  a  sign  of  but  little  respect  for  the 
person  visited. 

"  The  palanquin  is  in  constant  use.     Large  depots  of  these. 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  265 

where  one  can  always  be  hired  at  a  moment's  notice,  are  estab- 
lished in  Peking.  A  palanquin  carried  by  six  coolies  costs  about 
a  piastre  per  day ;  with  four  coolies  half  a  piastre  ;  with  only  two, 
ft  hundred  sapecas.  The  French  Legation  keeps  twenty-four 
palanquin  pollers,  dressed  in  blue  tunics  with  tricolor  collars 
and  facings.  Palanquins  are  usually  open  both  in  front  and 
behind  ;  they  have  a  small  window  at  the  side,  and  a  cross  plank 
on  which  tlie  passengers  sit. 

"  The  rage  for  gambling  is  one  of  the  curses  of  China;  a 
curse  that  has  begotten  a  thousand  others,  in  all  ranks  and  at  aU 
ages.  One  meets  in  the  streets  of  Peking  a  quantity  of  little 
itinerant  gaming  stalls ;  sometmies  consisting  of  a  set  of  dice  in  a 
brass  cup  on  a  stand,  sometimes  a  lottery  of  little  sticks  marked 
with  niunbers,  shaken  up  by  the  croupier  in  a  tin  tube.  We 
saw  crowds  round  these  shaq)ers,  and  the  i^assing  workman, 
yielding  to  the  iiTesistible  temptation,  loses  in  an  hour  his  day's 
hard  earnings.  The  coolies  attached  to  the  French  army  used  to 
thus  lose  their  month's  pay  the  day  after  they  got  it ;  some  of 
them  having  pledged  their  clothes  to  the  croupiers,  who  do  a  little 
pawnbroking  into  the  bargain,  had  to  make  their  escape  amid  the 
jeers  of  the  mob,  and  used  to  return  to  camp  with  nothing  on  but 
a  pair  of  di^awers. 

**  Cock  and  quail  fighting  are  still  practised  as  an  excuse  for 
gambling  by  the  Chinese,  who  stake  large  sums  on  the  result. 
The  wealthy  and  the  mercantile  classes  are  just  as  mveterate 
gamesters  as  the  common  people ;  they  collect  in  the  tea-houses 
and  spend  day  and  night  in  i)laying  at  cards,  at  dice,  at  dominos, 
and  at  draughts.  Their  cards,  about  five  inches  long,  are  very 
narrow,  and  are  a  good  deal  like  ours,  with  figures  and  pips 
of  diflferent  colours  marked  on  them.  The  game  most  in  vogue 
seems  to  be  a  kind  of  cribbage.  Their  draughtsmen  are  square, 
and  the  divisions  of  the  board  are  round.  Their  dominos  ai-e  flat, 
with  red  and  blue  mai'ks.  They  i)lay  at  draughts  also  with  dice, 
a  sort  of  backgammon.  Professional  gamblers  prefer  dice  to  any 
other  game,  as  it  is  the  most  gambling  of  all.  When  they  have 
lost  all  their  money,  they  stake  tlieii*  fields,  tlieii*  house,  their 
children,  their  wives,  and,  as  a  last  resort,  themselves  when  they 
have  nothing  else  left,  and  their  antagonist  agrees  to  let  them 
make  such  a  final  stake.  A  shopkeeper  of  Tien-tsin,  who  was 
minus  two  fingers  of  his  left  hand,  had  lost  them  over  the  dice 


266  THE   YELLOW   BACE. 

box.  The  women  and  children  are  fond  of  playing  at  shuttlecock ; 
it  is  their  favourite  game,  and  they  are  very  expert  at  it.  The 
shuttlecock  is  made  of  a  piece  of  leather  rolled  into  a  ball,  with 
one  or  two  metal  rings  round  it  to  steady  it ;  three  long  feathers 
are  stuck  into  holes  in  these  rings.  The  shuttlecock  is  kept  up 
with  the  soles  of  their  slippers,  which  they  use  instead  of  battle- 
dores ;  it  is  very  seldom  allowed  to  fall. 

*'  Gambling,  which  paralyzes  labour,  is  one  of  the  permanent 
causes  of  their  pauperism,  but  there  is  another,  still  more 
disastrous — dissipation.  The  thin  varnish  of  decency  and 
restraint  with  which  Chinese  society  is  covered,  conceals  a 
widespread  corruption.  Public  morality  is  only  a  mask  worn 
above  a  deep  depravity  surpassing  all  that  is  told  in  ancient 
history,  all  that  is  known  of  the  dissipated  habits  of  the  Persians 
and  Hindoos  of  our  own  day. 

'*  Drunkenness,  as  understood  in  Eui'ope,  is  one  of  the  least  of 
their  vices.  The  use  of  grape  wine  was  forbidden,  centuries  ago, 
by  some  of  their  emperors,  who  tore  up  all  the  vine  trees  in 
China.  This  interdiction  having  been  taken  oflf  under  the 
Manchu  dynasty,  grapes  are  grown  for  the  use  of  the  table,  but 
the  only  wine  that  is  drunk  is  rice  wine  or  samchow.  A  spirit  as 
strong  as  our  brandy  is  extracted  from  this  as  well  as  from  coarse 
millet  seed.  It  induces  a  terrible  form  of  intoxication.  The 
abuse  of  it  by  our  soldiers  in  the  Chinese  campaign  caused  a 
great  deal  of  fatal  dysentery  in  the  anuy. 

"  The  tea-houses  also  sell  alcoholic  liquor,  but  the  eating- 
houses  and  the  taverns  drive  the  largest  trade  in  it. 

"  We  cannot  speak  of  the  process  of  the  manufacture  of  tea, 
nor  of  the  vast  amount  of  labour  it  employs :  the  subject 
properly  belongs  to  southern  China ;  we  will  only  say  that  the 
use  of  tea  is  as  common  in  the  north  as  in  the  south.  The 
moment  you  enter  a  house,  tea  is  offered  to  you — it  is  a  sign  of 
hospitahty  to  do  so.  It  is  given  to  you  in  profusion ;  the  moment 
your  cup  is  empty,  a  silent  attendant  fills  it,  and  your  host  will 
not  permit  you  to  mention  the  subject  of  3'our  visit  till  you  have 
drunk  a  certain  quantity.  The  tea-houses  are  as  nimierous  as 
cafes  and  taverns  in  France ;  the  elegant  manner  in  which  they 
are  furnished,  and  their  high  charges,  distinguish  some  from 
others.  The  rich  trader  and  the  idle  man  of  fashion,  not  caring 
to  mix  with  the  grimy  handed  workman  or  the  coarse  peasant, 


SINAIC   BRANCH.  267 

only  frequent  those  houses  that  have  a  fashionable  reputation. 
Tea  houses  can  be  recognized  by  the  large  range  at  the  end  of 
their  rooms,  fitted  up  with  huge  kettles  and  massive  tea  pots, 
with  ovens  and  stoves  supplying  with  boiUng  water  immense 
caldrons  a^  big  as  a  man.  A  singular  kind  of  time-piece  is  placed 
above  the  range ;  it  is  made  of  a  large  moulded  bar  of  incense 
divided  oflf  by  equidistant  marks,  so  that  the  lapse  of  hours  can 
be  measured  by  its  combustion.  The  Chinese  can  thus  literally 
use  the  expression,  "consuming  the  time.'*  Morning  and 
evening  the  rooms  are  full  of  customers,  who  for  two  sapecas,  the 
price  of  entrance,  can  sit  there  and  discuss  their  business,  play, 
smoke,  listen  to  music,  or  amuse  themselves  by  looking  at  the 
feats  of  tumblers,  jugglers,  and  athletes.  For  the  two  sapecas 
they  have  also  the  right  to  drink  ten  cups  of  tea  (certainly 
extremely  small  ones),  with  which,  on  trays  covered  with  cakes 
and  dried  fruits,  a  crowd  of  waiters  keep  running  to  and  fro. 

"  One  day,"  says  a  letter  of  M.  X.,  a  French  oiKcer  in  the  101st 
Regiment  of  tlie  Line,  **  we  determined  to  dine  a  la  chinoise  in  a 
Chinese  eating-house.  Our  coolies  arranged  beforehand  that  the 
price  was  to  be  two  piastres  a  head,  a  large  sum  for  this  countr}', 
where  provisions  are  so  cheap.  As  a  i^reparation  for  dinner,  we 
had  to  thread  our  way  through  a  labyrinth  of  lanes,  crowded  with 
dens  in  which  crouched  thousands  of  ragged  beggars,  poisoning 
the  atmosphere  with  their  exhalations.  At  the  entrance  to  the 
open  space  in  front  of  the  eating-house  stood  a  quantity  of  heaps 
of  refuse,  composed  of  old  vegetable  stalks,  rotten  sausages,  and 
dead  cats  and  dogs,  and  in  every  hole  and  corner  a  mass  of  filth 
as  disagreeable  to  the  nose  as  to  the  eye.  It  required  a  strong 
stomach  to  retain  an  appetite  after  running  the  gauntlet  of  such 
a  horrible  mess.  A  few  tea  di'inkei's  and  card  i^layers  were 
seated  at  the  door,  and  seemed  to  care  very  little  for  the  pesti- 
lential character  of  the  neighbourhood.  We  tried  to  be  equally 
courageous,  and  after  admiring  two  immense  lanterns  which 
adorned  the  entrance,  and  the  sign  inscribed  in  big  letters,  *  The 
three  principal  Virtues,*  we  ventured  to  hope  that  honesty  would 
prove  one  of  them,  and  that  the  tavern  keei)er  would  give  us  our 
money's  worth. 

"  Our  entry  into  the  principal  room  created  a  little  excitement, 
for,  accustomed  as  tlie  Chinese  are  to  see  us,  we  still,  in  the 
quarters  of  the  town  where  Europeans  seldom  venture,  cause  a 


268  THE    YELLOW    RA.CE. 

certain  amount  of  curiosity,  not  unmixed  with  alarm.  Two 
square  tables  surrounded  by  wooden  benches,  on  which  had  been 
placed,  as  a  particular  favour,  some  stuffed  cushions,  had  been 
prepared  for  us.  The  waiters  thronged  round  us  with  red  earthen 
tea-pots,  and  white  metal  cups ;  there  were  no  spoons ;  boiling 
water  was  poured  on  a  pinch  of  tea  leaves,  placed  at  the  bottom 
of  the  cups,  and  we  were  obliged  to  drink  the  infusion  through  a 
small  hole  in  the  lid.  When  we  had  got  thi'ough  this  ordeal  like 
regular  Chinamen,  we  called  for  the  firet  course,  which  consisted 
of  a  quantity  of  wretched  little  lard  cakes,  sweetened  with  dried 
fruit ;  and  for  hors-d'oeuvre,  a  kind  of  caviare  made  of  the  intestines, 
the  livers,  and  the  roes  of  fish  pickled  in  vinegar,  and  some  land 
shrimps  cooked  in  salt  water;  these  were  really  nothing  but  large 
locusts.  This  dish,  however,  found  in  most  warm  countries,  was 
not  at  all  bad.  We  did  not  get  along  very  well  \\dth  the  first  course, 
which  was  immediately  followed  by  the  second.  The  waiters  placed 
on  the  table  some  plates,  or  rather  saucers,  for  they  were  no  bigger, 
and  some  bowl-shaped  dishes,  full  of  rice  dressed  in  different  ways 
with  small  pieces  of  meat  arranged  in  pyramids  on  top  of  it. 
Chop-sticks  accompanied  these  savoury  dishes.  What  were  we 
to  do  ?  Nobody  but  a  regular  Chinese  can  help  himself  with 
these  two  Uttle  bits  of  wood,  one  of  which  is  usually  held  stationan* 
between  the  thumb  and  the  ring  finger,  while  the  other  is  shifted 
about  between  the  fore  and  middle  fingers.  The  natives  lift  the 
saucers  to  theii*  lips,  and  swallow  the  rice  by  pushing  it  into  their 
mouth  with  the  chop-sticks,  but  we  tried  to  accomplish  this  in 
vain,  and  all  the  more  so,  that  our  fits  of  laughter  prevented  us 
from  making  any  really  earnest  attempt.  It  was,  hoAvever,  impos- 
sible for  us  to  compromise  the  dignity  of  om-  civilization  by  eating 
with  our  fingers  like  savages,  and  happily  one  of  our  number,  with 
more  forethought  than  the  rest,  had  brought  with  him  a  travelling 
case  holding  a  spoon,  and  a  knife  and  fork.  We  then  each  in 
turn  dipped  the  spoon  into  the  bowls  before  us,  with  an  amount  of 
suspicion,  however,  that  i)revented  the  proper  appreciation  of  the 
highly  flavoured  messes  they  contained.  At  last  some  less 
mysterious  dishes,  in  quantity  enough  to  satisfy  fift}'^  people,  made 
their  appearance  ;  chickens,  ducks,  mutton,  pork,  roast  hare,  fish 
and  boiled  vegetables.  White  grape  wine  and  rice  wine  were  at 
the  same  time  handed  to  us  in  microscopic  cups  of  painted 
porcelain.     None  of  the  beverages  were  sweet,  not  even  the  tea, 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  269 

but  to  make  up  for  it  they  were  all  boiling  hot.  The  meal  was 
brought  to  a  close  by  a  bowl  of  soup,  which  was  really  an  enormous 
piece  of  stewed  meat  swimming  about  in  a  sea  of  gravy. 

"  Satiated  rather  than  satisfied,  we  should  Iiave  preferred  some 
more  Chinese  dishes ;  some  swallows'  nests,  or  a  stew  of  ging- 


atng  roots,  but  it  appears  that  sucli  delicacies  as  these  must  be 
ordered  for  days  beforehand,  and  paid  for  by  their  weight  in  gold. 
We  swallowed  a  glass  of  tafia,  a  liquor  which  is  becoming  quite 
fashionable  in  Chinese  eating-houses,  and  lighting  our  cigars 
looked  about  us.  The  day  was  drawing  to  a  close  ;  the  tavern 
rooms,  which  were  at  first  nearly  empty,  were  filling  with  customers, 
who  after  furtively  scanning  us,  betook  themselves  to  their  usual 


270  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

occupations.  The  waiter  kept  calling  out  in  a  loud  Yoice  the 
names  and  the  prices  of  the  dishes  that  were  ordered,  and  these 
were  repeated  by  an  attendant  standing  at  the  counter  behind 
which  sat  the  master  of  the  place.  Some  shop-keepers  were 
playing  at  pigeon  fly;  one  held  up  as  many  of  the  fingers  of 
both  hands  as  he  thought  fit,  his  antagonist  had  to  guess  im- 
mediately how  many,  and  to  hold  up  simultaneously  exactly  the 
same  number  of  his  own.  The  loser  paid  for  a  cup  of  rice 
wine. 

"  The  room  was  beginning  to  reek  with  a  nauseous  odour,  in 
which  we  recognised  the  smell  of  opium  smoke.  It  was  the  hour 
for  that  fatal  infatuation.  Smokers  with  saUow  complexions  and 
hollow  eyes,  began  to  disappear  mysteriously  into  some  closets  at 
the  end  of  the  room.  We  could  see  them  lying  down  on  mat 
beddings,  with  hard  horsehair  pillows." 

Fig.  122  shows  one  of  these  closets  kept  for  the  use  of  opium- 
smokers.  The  utensils  and  paraphernalia  necessary  for  the  pre- 
paration and  lighting  of  the  opium  pipe,  lie  on  the  table. 

Agriculture  has  in  China  reached  a  remarkable  degree  of  per- 
fection. It  is  the  great  source  of  the  wealth  of  the  country ;  it  is 
the  progress  it  has  attained  that  allows  the  Celestial  Empire  to 
support  such  an  immense  population  in  a  relatively  confined  area. 
The  profession  of  agriculturist  is  consequently  held  in  great 
respect.     We  will  quote  M.  Poussielgue  on  tlie  subject : 

"  Towards  the  end  of  March,  1861,"  says  that  writer,  "  Prince 
Kong,  the  Imperial  regent,  proceeded  in  great  state  to  the  Temple 
of  Agricultm'e,  on  the  outskii-ts  of  the  Chinese  part  of  the  town 
of  Peking,  and,  after  offering  sacrifices  to  the  guardian  Deity  of 
mankind,  who  encourages  their  labour  by  giving  them  the  gifts  of 
the  earth,  put  his  own  hand  to  the  plough,  and  turned  up  several 
furrows ;  a  crowd  of  notabilities,  ministers,  masters  of  the  cere- 
monies, the  great  ofl&cers  of  state,  three  princes  of  the  Imperial 
family,  and  a  deputation  of  labourers  accompanied  the  Emperor's 
representative.  As  soon  as  Prince  Kong  had  finished  ploughing 
the  plot  of  ground  reserved  for  him,  and  marked  out  with  yellow 
flags,  the  three  Imperial  princes,  followed  by  the  nine  chief  digni- 
taries of  the  empire,  took  their  turn  at  the  plough,  tiU  the  whole 
field  was  covered  with  farrows,  in  which  mandarins  of  lesser  rank 
scattered  the  seed,  whilst  labourers  covered  with  rakes  and 
rollers  the  sacred  germs  entrusted  to  the  ground.    During  the 


SINAIC    BBANCH. 


S71 


-whole  ceremony,  choirs  of  music  made  the  atr  resound  with  their 
harmony. 

"  This  intellectual  patronage>  this  ennobling  of  agriculture, 
has  had  immense  results.     No  country  in  the  world  is  cultivated 


with  so  much  care,  or  perhaps,  \nth  more  success  than  China. 
It  does  not  contain  a  square  inch  of  waste  ground. 

"  In  the  province  of  Pe-tche-li,  where  land  is  very  much  cut  up 
into  small  lots,  agricultural  operations  are  conducted  on  a  limited 
Bcalet  but  the  intelligent  manner  in  which  they  are  carried  out, 
makes  up  for  the  inconveniences  of  this  parcelling  out.    But  few 


272  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

villages  are  seen  there,  but  in  compensation  for  their  absence  a 
quantity  of  farms  and  farm-houses  nestle  here  and  there  under  the 
shade  of  lofty  trees.  The  buildings  take  up  but  little  room,  and 
so  economical  are  the  peasants  of  the  soil,  that  they  place  their 
hayricks  and  their  wheat  sheaves  on  the  flat  roofs  of  their  dwell- 
ings.    Fig.  123  represents  their  system. 

"  If,  however,  they  are  saving  of  the  soil,  they  are  not  sparing 
of  pains.  Thanks  to  the  abundance  and  cheapness  of  labour, 
they  have  been  able  to  adopt  a  system  of  cultivating  the  earth 
in  alternate  rows,  and  thus  never  to  let  the  ground  lie  fallow, 
but  to  have  a  succession  of  crops  during  the  whole  summer. 
Between  the  rows  of  the  sorgho  [holcus  sarghum),  which  reaches 
a  height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet,  they  sow  a  plant  of  lesser  growth, 
the  smaller  kind  of  millet,  which  thrives  in  the  shade  of  its 
gigantic  neighbour.  When  they  have  reaped  the  sorgho,  the 
millet,  exposed  to  the  rays  of  the  sun,  ripens  in  its  turn ;  they 
plant  rows  of  beans  in  tlie  midst  of  theii'  maize  fields,  and  the 
former  ripens  before  the  latter,  of  slower  growth,  is  big  enough 
to  choke  them.  They  plant  the  earth  they  dig  out  of  their 
draining  trenches  with  castor-oil  or  cotton  plants,  whose  large 
green  leaves  make  a  kind  of  liedge  to  the  cornfields.  And  when 
the  soil  is  baiTcn  and  full  of  stones  they  plant  it  with  the 
resinous  pine,  or  with  the  cathse,  an  oily  plant  that  flourishes  on 
the  poorest  gi'ound. 

"  Nothing  is  more  stirring  than  the  picture  presented  by  the 
wide  plains  of  Pe-tche-li  at  harvest  time.  The  toil  of  the 
husbandman  has  brought  forth  its  fruit ;  the  crops  of  all  kinds 
fill  to  overflowing  the  granaries ;  threshers,  winnowers  and 
reapers,  with  crowds  of  gleaning  women  and  children,  fill  the  air 
with  their  joyous  songs,  as  half  stripped  beneath  the  glowing  sun, 
with  their  pig-tails  wound  around  their  heads,  they  zealously  toil 
on  from  daybreak  to  night  fall,  only  leaving  off  for  a  few  moments 
to  swallow  an  onion  or  two,  or  a  handful  of  rice,  to  take  a  few 
whiffs  at  their  pipe,  or  to  vigorously  fan  themselves  when  the  heat 
becomes  unbeai^able,  and  the  perspiration  is  running  down  their 
stalwart  limbs. 

"  Water  in  this  province  is  as  little  neglected  as  the  land. 

'^  Pisciculture  is  practised  on  a  large  scale  and  in  the  most 
intelligent  manner.  When  spring  returns,  a  quantity  of  vendors 
of  fish  spawn  perambulate  the  country  to  sell  this  precious  spat 


274  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

to  the  pond  owners.  The  eggs,  fecundated  by  the  milt,  are 
carried  about  in  small  barrels  full  of  damp  moss.  These  spawn- 
sellers  are  followed  by  hawkers  of  yoimg  fiy,  skilful  divers  who 
catch  in  very  fine  nets  the  new  bom  fish  reposing  in  the  holes  in 
the  river  beds.  These  &y  are  reared  in  special  ponds,  and  dis- 
seminated when  they  have  grown  bigger  in  the  lakes  and  larger 
pieces  of  water.  The  Chinese  have  succeeded  in  rearing  and 
preserving  in  artificial  basins  the  most  interesting  and  most  pro- 
ductive species  of  their  rivers.  In  the  immense  lakes  close  to 
the  Temple  of  Heaven  at  Peking,  they  rear  gold  fish,  a  kind  of 
bream  weighing  sometimes  as  much  as  twenty-five  pounds,  carp, 
and  the  celebrated  kia-yu,  a  domestic  fish.  Morning  and  evening 
the  keepers  bring  herbs  and  grains  for  the  fish,  which  greedily 
eat  them,  and  which  soon  reach  a  considerable  size,  thanks  to 
this  fattening  diet.  A  lake  managed  in  this  way  is  a  greater 
source  of  revenue  to  its  owner  than  the  most  fruitful  fields. 

**  The  sea-shore  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho  is  covered  with 
parks  to  hold  the  fish  at  low  water.  These  are  made  of  several 
lengths  of  blue  cotton  stuff  stretched  on  a  cane  fi-amework,  which 
is  fastened  to  a  quantity  of  small  stakes.  This  framework  folds 
in  any  direction  like  the  leaves  of  a  screen.  A  drag  net  is  also 
used  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  coast.  Soles,  sea  toads,  bream, 
gold  fish,  whiting,  cod  and  a  quantity  of  other  fish  are  caught  in 
the  gulf  of  Pe-tche-li.  Many  cetaceous  fish  are  also  found  there, 
dolphins,  several  kinds  of  sharks,  amongst  them  the  tiger  shark 
{Squalus  tigrinus),  whose  striped  and  spotted  skin  is  used  in  several 
manufactures,  and  a  large  species  of  turtle. 

"Eiver  fishing,  with  which  we  are  better  acquainted,  is  followed 
in  several  ingenious  fashions.  There  is  trained  cormorant  fish- 
ing, fly  fishing,  harpoon  fishing,  rod  fishing,  and  net  fishing; 
dams  are  also  placed  across  the  streams  at  the  travelling  periods 
of  migratory  fish.  The  Pei-ho,  crowded  with  fishermen,  presents 
a  most  lively  appearance ;  on  its  surface  you  see  large  boats 
containing  whole  families ;  the  women  occupied  in  mending  the 
nets,  in  making  osier  fishing-rods,  in  cleaning  and  salting  the 
day's  catch,  and  in  carrying  in  vases  the  fish  they  wish  to  keep 
alive  ;  the  little  children,  with  their  waists  girdled  with  a  life  belt 
of  pigs'  bladderSi  running  about  and  climbing  like  cats  up  the 
masts  and  the  rigging;  the  men  dropping  their  large  nets 
perpendicularly  into  the  water,  and  easily  raising  them  again  by 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 


a  piece  of  ingeniouB  mecIiaDisin  consisting  of  a  wooden  cotrnter- 
poise  on  vhich  they  lean  the  whole  weight  of  their  body  (fig.  124), 
others  watching  their  nets  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the  stream, 


their  whereabouts  indicated  by  the  wooden  floats  that  are  bobbing 
up  and  down  here  and  there ;  others  again  descending  the  river 
with  the  current  and  harpooning  the  larger  fish  with  a  harpoon 
fastened  to  the  wrist  by  a  strong  cord.     To  avoid  alarming 


276  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

their  prey,  they  have  invented  a  kind  of  raft,  made  of  a  couple  of 
beams  fastened  together  with  wooden  rungs  ladderwise ;  the  stem  is 
pointed,  and  in  the  stem,  which  is  square,  a  paddle  is  kept  with 
which  they  steer  themselves.  By  a  wonderful  piece  of  equilibrium 
they  manage  to  keep  in  an  upright  position,  their  feet  on  different 
rungs,  with  one  hand  stretched  out  grasping  the  harpoon,  and 
their  head  extended  to  catch  a  sight  of  the  fish  as  it  sleeps  in  the 
sunshine  on  the  top  of  the  water.  It  is  a  stirring  sight  to  see 
five  or  six  fishermen  abreast,  descending  with  the  current  on 
these  frail  barks.  They  wear  a  broad-brimmed  straw  hat,  and 
their  clothing  consists  of  a  waterproof  jerkin  of  woven  cane,  and 
a  pair  of  drawers  made  of  small  pieces  of  reed  stitched  together. 
Their  naked  arms  and  legs  are  muscular  and  bronzed,  their 
countenance  is  resolute,  and  its  calm  expression  shows  that  they 
are  inured  to  danger.  Although  it  often  happens  that  the 
harpooned  fish,  more  i)owerful  than  the  harpooner,  makes  the 
latter  lose  his  balance  and  tumble  into  the  water,  when  his  only 
means  of  safety  lie  in  cutting  the  rope  fastened  to  his  wrist  to 
save  himself  from  being  dragged  under,  accidents  are  seldom 
heard  of,  for  all  are  excellent  swimmers.  At  night  a  strange 
noise  is  heard  on  the  river,  lighted  up  with  resin  torches ;  the 
fishermen  rush  about  the  stream  beating  wooden  drums  to  drive 
the  fish  towards  the  spots  where  they  have  stretched  their  nets." 

Living  is  veiy  cheap  in  China,  o^ving  to  the  skill  of  the 
agricultural  laboui*ers  and  that  of  the  artisans  and  mechanics. 
A  whole  family  can  cook  its  meals  with  one  or  two  pounds  of 
dried  grass,  which  costs  about  a  penny  a  pound.  Fire-places 
are  very  little  used,  except  in  the  more  northern  provinces; 
but  warm  clothing  is  worn  when  the  climate  makes  it  necessary. 
The  dwellings  have  a  low  pitch,  so  that  with  the  coal  found  in 
many  of  the  provinces,  with  the  pnmings  of  the  trees,  and  with 
the  roots  of  the  mountain  shrubs,  their  inhabitants  can  cheaply 
procure  the  fuel  necessary  to  warm  themselves  with.* 

There  is  a  great  scarcity  of  forests  in  China,  as  the  country 
has  been  entirely  denuded  to  support  its  teeming  population. 
Grazing  fields  are  equally  scarce,  so  that  butcher's  meat,  beef  or 
mutton,  is  dear.  The  inhabitants  however  get  along  without  it, 
thanks  to  the  numerous  streams,  rivers,  lakes,  and  canals  which 
intersect  China,  and  swarm  with  fish.    Fishing  does  not  take 

*  Simon,  Beport  of  the  Acclimatization  Society,  March,  1869. 


278  THE    YELLOW   RACE. 

place  in  the  streams  of  running  water  alone.  Fish  are  caught  in 
the  rice  fields,  and  even  in  the  pools  caused  by  the  heavy  rains, 
so  rapid  is  the  production  of  these  animals. 

A  kind  of  fish  exists  in  China  which  multiplies  at  such  an 
astonishing  rate,  that  it  produces  two  broods  in  a  month,  this  fish 
is  consequently  not  more  than  a  penny  and  the  dearest  tenpence 
a  pound.  All  kinds  of  fisheries  are  carried  on — ^net,  rod,  otter 
and  cormorant  fishing.  It  is  thus  that  animal  food  for  four 
hundred  millions  of  inhabitants  is  provided. 

Pigs,  ducks,  and  chickens  are  also  a  great  resource.  Pork  has 
become  such  a  general  article  of  food,  that  its  cost  is  higher  than 
that  of  beef,  although  the  latter  is  much  the  scarcest. 

The  ducks  are  foimd  in  flocks  of  three  or  fom*  thousand  on  the 
lakes  and  pieces  of  wa£er.  They  are  watched  by  children  in  a 
kind  of  small  canoe.  Sometimes  the  drakes  bring  the  ducklings 
to  the  water,  keeping  guard  over  them  from  the  bank,  and 
recalling  them  when  necessaiy  with  a  shai-p  piercing  cry  which 
the  young  ones  perfectly  understand. 

Thjere  is  a  large  trade  in  ducks.  They  dry  them  by  putting 
them  between  a  couple" of  planks  like  plants;  and  they  are  sent 
in  this  guise  to  the  most  remote  parts  of  the  empu*e.  Dogs  of  a 
particular  breed,  reared  for  the  market  in  the  southern  provinces, 
are  prepared  in  the  same  way,  but  only  for  the  consumption  of 
the  very  poorest  classes.  Goats  and  sheep  are  also  rather  largely 
made  use  of  for  food,  but  not  to  such  an  extent  as  pigs,  ducks 
and  chickens. 

It  may  be  seen  therefore  that  the  Chinese  have  learnt  how  to 
supply  the  place  of  the  larger  kind  of  butcher's  meat. 

Vegetables  however  form  the  staple  of  their  food.  This 
explains  how  it  is  possible  for  four  himdred  millions  of  inhabi- 
tants to  exist  in  a  country  whose  acreage  is  not  more  than  four  or 
five  times  that  of  France.  Chinese  horticulture  contains  eighty 
diflferent  kinds  of  vegetables,  and  out  of  these  eighty,  at  least 
twenty-five  constitute  a  direct  article  of  food  for  man.  But  the 
most  precious  of  all  is  rice,  and  the  Cliinese  spare  no  pains  in 
perfecting  its  cultivation.  In  aid  of  this  cultivation  they  have 
sacrificed  their  forests,  dug  immense  lakes,  and  even  pierced  lofty 
mountains.  For  its  sake  they  collect  the  water  of  both  stream 
and  river,  and  direct  its  course  from  the  mountain's  foot  over  the 
soil  they  wish  to  irrigate.     Perhaps  no  greater  or  more  grandiose 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  279 

work  exists  in  the  whole  world  than  the  gigantic  hydraulic 
system  which,  throughout  the  whole  of  China,  from  the  west  to 
the  sea  coast,  directs  the  flow  of  its  waters,  and  pours  them 
over  the  fields  of  every  tiller  of  its  soil. 

This  great  work  was  carried  out  four  thousand  years  ago,  but 
public  gratitude  has  not  forgotten  its  promoter.  They  still  point 
out  not  far  from  Ning-po,  the  field  where  the  little  peasant  used 
to  work  who  after  accomplishing  his  enterprise  became  the  great 
emperor  Yu.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the  canton  where  he  was 
bom  are  considered  as  his  descendants  or  as  those  of  his  family, 
and  are  exempt  from  taxation  ;  and  the  anniversar}'  of  his  birth 
is  celebrated  every  year  in  a  special  temple  with  as  much  zeal  as 
if  the  benefits  he  has  bestowed  were  things  of  yesterday. 

The  Chinese  do  their  best  not  only  for  rice,  but  for  every  kind 
of  produce,  or  to  put  it  better,  for  the  earth  itself,  the  earth  that 
brings  it  forth.  Agriculture  to  the  Chinese  is  more  than  a 
calling,  it  is  almost  a  religion.  The  Chinaman  repeats  to  himself 
these  words  of  the  old  Persian  law :  **  Be  thou  just  to  the  plant, 
to  the  bull,  and  to  the  horse  ;  nor  be  thou  unmindful  of  the  dog. 
The  earth  has  a  right  to  be  sown ;  neglect  it  and  it  will  curse 
thee,  fertilize  it  and  it  'will  be  grateful  to  thee.  It  says  to  him 
who  tills  it  from  the  right  to  the  left,  and  from  the  left  to  the 
right,  may  thy  fields  bring  forth  of  all  that  is  good  to  eat,  and 
may  thy  countless  villages  abound  with  prosperity."  It  adds 
again,  "  Labour  and  sow  :  the  sower  who  sows  with  purity  obeys 
the  whole  law.'* 

When  the  earth  therefore  does  not  produce  abundant  crops, 
the  Chinese  lay  the  blame  on  themselves.  They  purify  them- 
selves and  fast.  Confucius,  besides,  has  said  :  "  If  you  wish  for 
good  agriculture,  be  of  pure  morals.*** 

The  soil  in  China  yields  as  much  as  ten  thousand  pounds 
of  rice  to  every  acre.  Such  a  result  says  a  great  deal  for  their 
rural  morals.  While  occupied  in  making  the  earth  yield  so 
plentiftdly,  they  have  no  time  for  evil  thoughts  or  actions.  A 
moralist  has  said,  "  There  can  be  no  cultivation  without  public 
order.  Justice  is  begotten  of  the  furrow.  Ceres,  who  at 
Thebes  and  at  Athens  brought  men  together  and  made  the  laws, 
is  the  reflecting  mind  of  men  who  till  the  soil."  t    How  could 

*  Simon,  Beport  of  the  Aodimatization  Society,  March,  1869. 

t  Idem. 


280  •  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

Chinese  agriculture  be  possible  without  a  system  of  law,  when 
for  the  success  of  its  rice  fields  it  is  so  dependent  on  water, 
which  is  so  easily  cut  oflF,  for  the  very  essence  of  its  fruitful- 
ness.  The  uninterrupted  distribution  of  its  waters,  in  the  midst 
of  such  an  immense  rural  population,  is  a  symptom  of  great 
lionesty  and  fairness  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  Celestial 
Empire. 

Thus  we  see  that  patience,  gentleness,  justice  and  benevolence 
are  the  predominant  Chinese  qualities.  The  Chinese  have  been 
often  reproached  with  being  atheists  ;  but  the  devotion  of  labour, 
the  purifications  and  the  atonements  to  which  they  submit  at  the 
smallest  warning  from  Heaven,  free  them  from  this  reproach. 

The  Bonzes,  the  priests  of  the  Buddhist  faith,  are  treated  by 
the  Chinese  with  great  respect.  If  this  nation  is  not  really  a  very 
religious  one,  at  least  it  venerates  and  resx)ects  the  ministers  of 
religion. 

Fig.  126  shows  the  usual  dress  of  the  Bonzes. 

Education  is  widely  spread  in  China ;  schools  abound  there. 
Chinese  literature,  without  possessing  very  numerous  works 
worthy  of  remembrance,  has  produced  a  good  deal  worthy  of 
esteem. 

The  Theatre  is  a  recreation  much  sought  after  by  the  people 
and  by  the  educated  classes. 

We  will  make  a  few  extracts  on  these  points  from  the  travels 
of  M.  de  Bourboulon,  edited  by  M.  Poussielgue,  which  we  have 
already  quoted  :  "  Their  Book  of  Rites,**  says  M.  Poussielgue, 
"  directs  that  the  education  of  the  cliild  of  wealthy  parents  shall 
commence  from  the  hour  even  of  its  birth,  and  bids  the  mother 
take  great  precautions  in  choosing  its  nurses,  whom  it  only 
tolerates.  A  child  is  weaned  the  moment  it  can  lift  its  hand  to 
its  mouth.  At  six  years  of  age  the  elementary  principles  of  arith- 
metic and  geography  are  taught  him;  at  seven  he  is  separated  firom 
his  mother  and  sisters,  and  no  longer  allowed  to  take  meals  with 
them ;  at  eight  the  usages  of  politeness  are  instilled  into  him ; 
the  following  year  he  is  taught  the  astrological  calendar ;  at  ten 
he  is  sent  to  a  public  school,  where  the  master  teaches  him  to 
read  and  write  and  to  calculate  ;  between  the  ages  of  thirteen  and 
fifteen  he  receives  music  lessons  and  sings  moral  maxims  instead 
of  his  hymns ;  at  fifteen,  come  gymnastics,  the  use  of  arms,  and 
riding ;  finally  at  twenty  years  of  age,  if  he  is  considered  worthy 


YELL'i.voK  ^\:::r(i:.] 


8INAIC    BRANCH. 


of  it,  he  receives  the  virile  cap,  and  changes  his  cottoD  clothing 
for  Bilk  garments  and  furs;  he  is  also  generally  married  at  this 
age. 

"The  Chinese  schoolmasters   (fig.  127)   are  rejected  men  of 


letters  who  have  not  succeeded  in  passing  the  examinations  for 
civil  employment.  They  make  their  scholars  call  out  their 
lessons  in  a  loud  voice,  and  seem  to  have  long  since  appreciated 
the  value  of  the  system  of  mutual  instruction.  They  chastise 
culprits  with  their  pigtails  and   with   cat-o* -nine-tails,    striking 


282  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

them  heavy  blows  on  the  hands  and  on  the  back.  Moral  penalties 
are  also  inflicted;  a  writing  fastened  to  his  back  holds  up  the 
idle  schoolboy  to  public  contempt.  The  poorest  class  of  children 
are  taught  gratuitously  in  the  schools. 

''The  importance  attached  by  the  Chinese  to  the  writing,  the 
reading,  the  grammar,  and  the  thorough  knowledge  of  their  lan- 
guage, springs  from  its  inherent  difficulties. 

"  The  ancient  Chinese  writing  was  ideographic,  that  is  to  say,  it 
represented  objects  by  drawn  characters,  similar  to  the  Egyptian 
system  of  hieroglyphics,  instead  of  being  phonetic,  that  is,  com- 
posed of  signs  corresponding  with  the  sounds  of  the  spoken  lan- 
guage. Their  primitive  characters,  two  hundred  and  fourteen  in 
number,  were  rough  figures  imperfectly  representing  material 
objects.  Ideographical  writing,  the  "use  of  which  by  semi- 
barbarous  peoples  is  easily  explained,  must  be  rather  awkward  for 
civilized  men  desiring  to  express  abstract  ideas.  The  Chinese 
have  ingeniously  modified  their  characters,  so  as  to  render  them 
capable  of  satisfjdng  the  wants  of  their  growing  civilization. 
Anger  was  represented  by  a  heart  imder  a  bond,  a  sign  of  slavery ; 
friendship  by  two  pearls  exactly  alike  ;  history,  by  a  hand  hold- 
ing the  emblem  of  equity.  As  it  was  soon  found  that  these 
ingenious  figures  were  no  longer  sufficient,  they  were  combined  in 
an  infinite  number  of  ways ;  they  were  altered  and  multiplied  to 
such  an  extent,  that  it  takes  all  the  science  of  an  old  man  of 
letters  to  recognize  the  designs  of  the  primitive  writing  in  the 
present  characters,  which  are  more  than  forty  thousand  in  number. 
It  is  in  this  way  that  their  modem  writing  was  gradually  formed, 
an  emblematic  writing  which  does  not  correspond  with  the  spoken 
language,  the  one  solitary  exception  to  the  rule  among  all 
civilized  nations. 

''  It  is  therefore  easily  to  be  understood  that  to  read  and  write 
the  Chinese  language  is  a  science  exacting  severe  study  from 
natives  of  the  country,  as  well  as  from  foreigners  :  besides,  even 
its  grammatical  rules  vary  very  much.  There  are  three  kinds  of 
style  :  the  ancient  or  sublime  style,  used  in  the  old  canonical 
books ;  the  academical  style,  which  is  adopted  for  official  and 
literary  documents ;  and  the  common  style. 

''The  Chinese  attach  much  importance  to  an  elegant  hand- 
writing, a  clever  calligrapher,  or  to  use  their  own  expression,  a 
clever  brush,  is  worthy  of  their  admiration.    Captain  Bouvier  and 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  883 

one  of  the  iuterpreterB  of  the  French  legation,  were  one  day  pay- 
ing a  visit  to  Tchong-Iouen,  one  of  the  leading  officials  of  Peking ; 
his  son,  a  mandarin  with  the  blue  button,  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
two,  and  already  father  of  a  child — that  is  to  say  of  a  son,  for  girls 


do  not  count  for  anything — was  present  in  the  reception-room. 
Tchong-louen,  wshing  to  give  an  idea  of  his  son's  precocious  ac- 
complishments to  hia  visitorB,  sent  for  a  lai-ge  cartoon  in  which 
the  youth  had  traced  ia  splendid  outlines,  the  word  longevity,  and 


fi84  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

showed  it  to  them  with  as  much  pri^e  as  if  it  had  been  the 
certificate  of  some  noble  action  or  a  literary  work.  The  rooms  of 
every  house  contain  similar  cartoons,  himg  upon  their  walls  as 
we  in  Europe  hang  paintings. 

"  The  appearance  of  Chinese  writing  is  very  odd ;  the  cha- 
racters are  placed  one  under  the  other  in  vertical  lines,  and  run 
from  right  to  left ;  in  a  word,  on  this  point  as  in  many  others,  the 
Chinese  proceed  in  a  manner  diametrically  opposed  to  ours. 
The  position  in  which  the  characters  are  placed  is  besides  very 
important;  for  instance,  the  Emperor's  name  must  be  written 
with  two  letters  higher  than  the  others,  to  omit  this  would  be  to 
commit  treason.  Everybody  is  familiar  with  Chinese  or  Indian 
ink.  It  is  with  this  substance,  diluted  in  water  and  used  with  a 
brush,  that  the  Chinese  trace  the  letters  of  their  writing,  holding 
their  hands  perpendicularly,  instead  of  placing  them  horizontally, 
on  the  paper. 

"  Their  spoken  language  is  much  less  difficult ;  it  is  composed 
of  monosyllables,  the  union  of  which,  in  an  infinite  nimiber  of  ways, 
expresses  every  possible  idea.  I  must  not  forget  the  accents 
which  give  a  difference  of  tone  and  expression  to  the  mono- 
syllabic roots.  The  language  of  the  south  differs  sufficiently  firom 
that  of  the  north  to  prevent  the  natives  from  understanding  one 
another  without  the  assistance  of  the  brush.  Moreover,  everj*^ 
province  has  its  i)ai'ticular  dialect. 

"  In  spite  of  the  difficulties  presented  by  the  reading  and  writ- 
ing of  the  Chinese  character,  China  is  doubtless  the  land  in  which 
primary  instruction  is  most  widely  spread.  Schools  are  found 
even  in  the  smallest  hamlets  whose  rustics  deprive  themselves  of 
some  of  their  gains,  in  order  to  pay  a  schoolmaster.  It  is  ver}" 
seldom  you  meet  with  an  entirely  uneducated  Chinese.  The 
workmen  and  the  peasants  are  capable  of  writing  their  own  letters, 
reading  the  government  bills  and  proclamations,  and  making  notes 
of  their  daily  business.  Teaching  in  the  primary  schools  has  for 
its  basis,  the  San-tse-king,  a  sacred  book  attributed  to  a  disciple  of 
Confucius,  which  sums  up  in  a  hundred  and  sixty-eight  lines  all 
acquired  knowledge  and  science.  This  little  encyclopaedia, 
properly  explained  and  commented  on  by  the  teacher,  suffices 
to  give  Chinese  children  a  taste  for  positive  knowledge,  and  even 
to  give  them  the  desire  of  acquiring  a  wider  education.  There 
are  also  colleges  in  the  large  towns  where  the  children  of  the 


286  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

men  of  letters  and  of  the  mandarins  receive  a  complete  educa- 
tion.    Such  among  others  is  the  Imperial  College  at  Peking. 

"  The  citizens  of  the  Celestial  Empire  enjoy  thorough  liberty  of 
the  press,  but  at  their  own  risk  and  peril.  The  government, 
which  has  no  right  to  forbid  any  publication,  revenges  itself  after- 
wards by  inflicting  the  bastinado  on  the  authors  of  the  pamphlets 
and  the  virulent  satires  that  daily  appear  attacking  it.  A  great 
quantity  of  small  portable  printing-presses  exists  among  private 
individuals  who  both  use  and  abuse  them.  There  is  no  country 
in  the  world  where  the  walls  are  so  thickly  covered  with  bills  and 
advertisements. 

"  The  Chinese  have  practised  the  typographical  art  from,  time 
immemorial ;  but  as  their  alphabet  is  composed  of  more  than  forty 
thousand  letters,  they  could  not  make  use  of  moveable  type ;  they 
restricted  themselves  therefore  to  carving  on  a  piece  of  hard  board 
the  characters  they  required,  to  wetting  these  characters  with  ink 
and  to  striking  off  a  number  of  copies,  by  applying  different  sheets 
of  paper  to  the  board.  Their  binders,  in  opposition  to  ours, 
make  these  leaves  up  into  a  volume  by  fastening  them  together  by 
their  edges.  A  note  in  the  preface  generally  mentions  the  place 
where  the  boards  that  printed  the  first  edition  of  the  work  have 
been  deposited. 

"  There  are  in  Peking  several  daily  papers,  amongst  others  the 
Official  Gazette,  a  government  print,  the  subscription  for  which  is 
a  piastre  quarterly.  This  print,  published  in  pamphlet  shape,  is  a 
rectangular  publication  containing  a  dozen  pages,  with  a  like- 
ness of  the  philosopher  Meng-tsen  on  the  cover.  It  contains  a 
summary  of  all  public  matters,  and  all  leading  events,  the  peti- 
tions and  memorials  addressed  to  the  Emperor,  his  decrees,  the 
edicts  of  the  viceroys  of  the  provinces,  judicial  ceremonies  and 
letters  of  pardon,  the  custom-house  tariffs,  the  court  circulai', 
the  news  of  the  day,  fires,  crimes,  &c.,  and  finaUy  the  incidents, 
fortunate  or  imfortunate,  of  the  war  against  the  rebel  Tae-pings. 
It  even  acknowledges  the  Imperial  defeats,  a  piece  of  frank- 
ness worthy  of  notice  by  the  official  organs  of  Europe  and 
America. 

"  The  Chinese  have  a  traditional  and  quasi-religious  respect  for 
the  preservation  of  all  printed  and  written  papers ;  they  are  care- 
fully collected  and  burnt  when  read,  so  as  to  put  them  beyond  the 
reach  of  profanation.    It  is  even  asserted  that  societies  exist  who 


SINAIC   BRANCH.  287 

pay  porters  to  go  from  street  to  street  with  enormous  baskets  to 
pick  up  fragments.  These  new  kind  of  rag-gatherers  are  paid  for 
saving  the  waifs  and  strays  of  human  thought. 

"  Art  like  literature  has  been  carried  to  some  extent  in  an  utili- 
tarian and  manufacturing  sense.  But  imaginative  art,  the  ideally 
beautiful,  is  a  thing  a  Chinese  does  not  understand. 

"  While  acknowledging  the  skill  with  which  the  Chinese  have 
written  on  social  economy,  on  philosophy,  on  history,  and  on  all 
moral  and  political  science  based  on  experience  and  logic,  we 
must  note  the  scarcity  of  their  purely  literary  works.  It  must  not 
however,  be  concluded  that  China,  unlike  every  civilized  country, 
does  not  possess  plenty  of  poets,  novelists  and  dramatic  authors ; 
but  their  little  esteemed  and  badly  remunerated  productions  are 
ephemeral.  To-day  an  ode,  something  appropriate  to  the  moment, 
is  written,  it  is  recited  or  played  in  the  midst  of  applause,  and 
to-morrow  nothing  remains  of  it. 

"  Theatrical  propensities  are  nevertheless  very  strongly  de- 
veloped among  the  Chinese,  and  the  cause  of  this  forgetfulness, 
this  neglect  is  that  they  are  ashamed  of  attaching  too  much 
importance  to  a  futile  amusement.  The  managers  of  the 
theatres  are  generally  the  authors  of  the  pieces  they  represent,  or 
at  any  rate  they  modify  them  according  to  the  exigencies  of  the 
actors  and  the  suitability  of  the  costumes.  There  are  no 
permanent  or  authorized  theatres  in  Peking :  the  government 
only  allows  their  temporary  construction  in  the  open  spaces  of 
the  town  for  a  limited  period  during  public  festivals.  Theatrical 
representations,  however,  take  place  in  many  of  the  tea-houses, 
which  are  analogous  to  oiu*  music-halls,  and  in  nearly  all  the 
dwellings  of  the  wealth}',  who,  every  time  they  hire  a  company 
of  actors  to  celebrate  a  family  anniversary,  take  care,  with  an 
eye  to  popularity,  to  allow  the  public  free  ingress  into  that  part 
of  their  house  reserved  for  the  auditorium.'* 

"  I  have  just  been  present,'*  relates  M.  Treves,  "  at  a 
theatrical  representation  given  by  the  secretary  of  state  Tchong- 
louen  in  the  gardens  of  his  palace  in  the  Tartar  town,  in  honour 
of  the  new  year.  The  theatre  was  something  like  those  con- 
structed in  Paris  on  the  esplanade  of  the  Invalides  on  the-occasion 
of  the  Emperor's  fete  :  it  was  an  ample  quadrilateral  building  in 
the  shape  of  a  Greek  temple,  supported  on  either  side  by  four 
columns  painted  in  sky-blue,  golden,  and  scarlet  stripes,  and  with 


288  THE    YELLOW    RACK 

a  proscenium  covered  with  carvings  and  decorations.  The  stage, 
much  wider  than  it  was  deep,  was  a  wooden  platform  raised  about 
six  feet  above  the  level  of  the  rest  of  the  building.  An  immense 
screen  shuts  off  the  back  passages,  where  the  actors  dress  them- 
selves and  get  themselves  up.  There  was  no  scener}%  only  two  or 
three  chairs  and  a  carpet.  The  circular  hall  reserved  for  the 
audience,  very  large  in  proportion  to  the  stage,  was  paved  with 
white  marble  ;  it  was  not  roofed  in,  and  the  only  shelter  for  the 
spectators  was  the  shade  cast  by  the  large  trees  of  the  garden 
(fig.  129). 

"  We  took  our  places  on  a  reserved  platform,  placed  expressly 
for  us  in  front  of  the  stage ;  on  either  side  were  boxes  with 
bamboo  blinds  whence  the  wives  of  our  host  and  those  of  his 
guests  looked  on  at  tlie  play  :  to  prevent  their  being  seen,  they 
wore  veils  of  silk  net.  The  guests  of  lower  rank  were  seated  in 
the  first  row,  on  chairs  grouped  round  small  tables  capable  of 
accommodating  four  or  five  people.  Behind  them  I  could  see  a 
swarm  of  human  heads ;  these  were  the  public  who  crowded  and 
pressed  together  to  enjoy  the  spectacle  for  which  they  were  in- 
debted to  the  munificence  of  the  illustrious  Tchong-louen.  At 
Peking  as  in  Paris,  the  common  people  willingly  undergo  for  the 
sake  of  amusement  the  fatigue  of  standing,  without  any  means  of 
resting  themselves,  for  hours  together.  A  few  indulgent  fathers 
had  two  or  three  children  perched  upon  their  backs,  and  upon 
their  shoulders,  but  I  could  not  see  a  single  woman. 

"  At  a  signal  given  from  our  dais,  the  orchestra,  placed  at  one 
wing  of  the  stage,  and  consisting  of  two  flutes,  a  drum  and  a  harp, 
began  a  charivari  which  took  the  place  of  an  overture  ;  then  the 
screen  opened,  and  the  actors  all  appeared  in  their  ordinary  dress, 
and  after  bowing  so  deeply  that  their  foreheads  touched  the 
groimd,  their  leader  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the  stage  and  com- 
menced a  pompous  recital  of  the  dramas  they  were  going  to 
perform." 

Here  the  writer  gives  a  description  of  the  pieces  represented, 
which  were  kinds  of  allegories  and  historical  pageants.  Besides 
these  regular  theatrical  representations,  there  are  in  Peking  many 
acrobatic  troops,  male  and  female  rope-dancers,  and  itinerant 
circuses. 

Marionettes,  absolutely  identical  with  those  in  Europe,  are  seen 
in  China.    Which  nation  is  their  inventor  ?    The  name  by  which 


SINAIC    BRANCa 


they   hare   passed    from   time   unmemorial   in    France,  ombret 
chinoises,  seems  to  prove  that  their  origin  is  Chinese. 


Hidden  hy  ample  drapery  of  blue  cotton  stuff,  the  man  who 
Doves  the  puppets  stands  on  a  stool.      A  case  representing  a 


290  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

little  stage  is  placed  on  his  shoulders  and  rises  above  his  head, 
while  his  hands  work  without  revealing  the  mechanical  means 
he  uses  to  impart  the  movements  of  players  to  these  tiny 
automatons. 

We  will  end  our  account  of  the  Chinese  with  a  glance  at  their 
administration  of  justice  and  their  judicial  forms.  We  again 
{VLoie  from  M.  Poussielgue ; 

"  There  is  a  direct  relation  in  China  between  the  penal  judicial 
code  and  family  organization.  If  the  Emperor  is  the  father  and 
the  mother  of  his  subjects,  the  magistrates  who  represent  him  are 
also  the  father  and  mother  of  those  they  rule  over.  Every  out- 
rage against  the  law  is  an  outrage  upon  the  family.  Impiety,  one 
of  tlie  greatest  crimes  foreseen  and  pimished  by  the  law,  is  really 
nothing  but  a  want  of  respect  for  parents.  This  is  how  the  penal 
code  defines  impiety.  '  He  is  impious  who  insults  his  nearest 
relations,  or  he  who  brings  an  action  against  them,  or  who  does 
not  go  into  mourning  for  them,  or  who  does  not  venerate  their 
memory,  or  he  who  is  wanting  in  the  attention  due  to  tliose  to 
whom  he  owes  liis  existence,  by  whom  he  has  been  educated,  or 
by  whom  he  has  been  protected  and  assisted.*  The  punishments 
incuiTed  for  the  crime  of  impiety  are  temble  ;  we  intend  to  speak 
of  them  later. 

**  In  thus  carrj'ing  the  feeling  of  what  is  due  to  family  ties  into 
the  region  of  politics,  the  Chinese  legislators  have  created  a 
governmental  machinery  of  prodigious  power,  wliich  has  lasted  for 
thirty  centuries,  and  which,  neither  the  numerous  revolutions  and 
d}Tiastic  changes,  neither  the  antagonism  of  the  northern  and 
southern  races,  neither  the  immense  territorial  extent  of  the 
empire,  neither  religious  scepticism,  nor  finally  the  selfish  creed 
of  materialism  developed  to  excess  by  a  decayed  and  stationaiy 
civilization,  have  been  able  to  destroy,  or  even  seriously  to 
distm'b. 

**  Amongst  the  supreme  courts  that  sit  at  Peking,  is  the  Court 
of  Appeal  or  Cassation  (Ta-li-sse).  Next  to  it  come  the  assizes 
held  in  the  chief  towns  of  each  province,  and  presided  over  by  a 
special  magistrate  bearing  the  title  of  Commissary  of  the  Court 
of  Offences.  A  second  magistrate  of  inferior  rank  exercises  the 
duties  of  public  accuser  at  these  assizes.  In  towns  of  second 
and  third  importance  inferior  tribunals  exist  which  have  but  one 
judge,  the  mandarin  or  the  sub-prefect  of  the  department.     The 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  291 

pomshments  that  can  be  awarded  by  the  latter  are  limited ;  when 
the  crime  deserves  a  greater  chastisement,  the  prisoner  is  sent 
to  the  assizes  held  in  the  eliief  town  of  liis  province  :  if  this 
tribunal  sentences  him  to  denth,  the  proceedings  must  be  sent  to 
the  Comt  of  Appeal  at  Peking,  where  a  final  decision  is  pro- 
nounced at  the  autumn  sittings.     Thus  no  provincial  tribunal  lias 


the  power  of  sentencing  a  prisoner  to  death  ;  although  in  special 
cases,  such  as  an  armed  insun-ection,  a  governor  can  be  invested 
with  extreme  power,  similar  to  that  conferred  in  Europe  by 
martial  law.  Finally  there  are  in  every  part  of  the  empire,  courts 
of  information  where  the  sub-prefect,  in  the  course  of  his  quarterly 
circuit,  has  to  hear  what  is  taking  place,  decide  differences,  and 
deliver  moral  lectures  to  the  public  ;  but  this  excellent  institution 


292  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

has  fallen  into  disuse  in  consequence  of  the  relaxation  of  govern- 
mental authority  and  the  carelessness  of  the  mandarins. 

*'  The  result  of  this  judicial  organization  is  that  the  sub- 
prefect  is  invested  with  the  entire  correctional  power  within  the 
limits  of  his  civil  jurisdiction,  a  very  faulty  state  of  things,  which 
has  been  the  cause  of  enormous  abuses. 

"  There  are  no  advocates  in  China,  and,  as  has  been  seen, 
very  few  judges.  Consequently  the  mode  of  administering  justice 
is  very  summary,  and  the  guarantees  enjoyed  by  a  prisoner  amount 
to  nothing.  His  friends  or  relations  can,  it  is  true,  plead  in 
his  favour,  but  it  is  of  no  use,  unless  it  happens  to  suit  the 
mandarin  at  the  head  of  the  tribimal.  As  for  the  witnesses,  they 
are  liable  to  be  flogged  with  a  rattan,  accordingly  as  their  evidence 
is  agreeable  or  not.  Generally  spealdng,  the  long-winded  wit- 
nesses are  the  most  disagreeable  to  the  mandarin  who  has  a  mass 
of  matters  to  settle,  and  whose  time  does  not  allow  him  to  enter 
into  petty  details.  In  point  of  fact  the  prisoner's  acquittal  or  con- 
demnation depends  upon  the  subaltern  officers  of  the  court,  who 
prepare  the  proceedings  in  a  manner  favom^able  to  the  prisoners 
or  the  reverse,  accordingly  as  they  have  received  more  or  less 
money  from  his  friends. 

*'  If  there  is  something  to  be  praised  in  Chinese  jurisprudence, 
the  way  in  which  the  punishments  are  earned  out  is  on  the 
contrar}^  shocking.  Man  is  considered  as  a  being  sensitive  only 
to  physical  agony  and  to  death ;  Chinese  legislators  have  not 
sought  to  restrain  liim  by  his  honour,  by  his  pride  in  himself,  nor 
even  by  his  self  interest.  The  penal  code  consists  mainly  of  the 
bastinado,  inflicted  with  a  thick  bamboo  cane,  with  the  thick  end 
or  the  thin  one,  and  consisting  of  from  ten  up  to  two  hundred 
blows,  as  the  ciime  is  trifling  or  serious,  or  as  the  object  stolen  is 
of  little  or  of  great  value.  The  bastinado  is  given  immediately  in 
presence  of  the  tribunal.  The  most  common  punishments,  are, 
after  the  bastinado,  the  cangue,  the  pillory,  imprisonment  and 
perpetual  exile  into  Tai-tary  for  mandarins  who  have  committed 
political  offences.  We  have  mentioned  that  the  High  Court  of 
Appeal  alone  can  decide  on  a  death  sentence ;  but  the  sufferings 
inflicted  by  the  orders  of  the  inferior  tribunals  are  so  homble,  the 
executioners  are  so  ingenious  in  varying  the  tortures  witliout 
causing  death,  the  management  of  the  prisons  is  so  hateful,  and 
finally  a  man  sentenced  to  the  cangue,  the  piUorj',  or  the  cage  is 


294  THE   YELLOW   RACK 

exposed  to  such  honible  anguish,  that  when  the  death-warrant 
arrives  from  Peking,  the  unfortunate  wretch  goes  cheerfully  to 
the  scaffold,  as  if  his  last  day  were  really  the  day  of  his  deliver- 
ance. 

"  Capital  punishment,  horribly  varied  in  bygone  days,  is  now 
only  inflicted  in  three  ways  ;  strangulation,  decapitation,  and  the 
slow  death  by  stabbing. 

**  Strangulation  is  effected  by  means  of  a  silken  cord  that  two 
executioners  pull  at  each  end,  or  by  an  iron  collar  tightened  by  a 
screw,  very  much  like  the  garote  at  present  used  in  Spain.  Stran- 
gulation by  the  silken  cord,  is  reserved  for  the  princes  of  the 
Imperial  family ;  the  iron  collar  is  used  to  destro}',  in  the  silence 
of  the  prison,  those  whose  death  it  is  desired  to  conceal. 

^*  In  public,  the  only  mode  of  execution  is  decapitation,  applied 
to  all  vulgar  crimes.  The  preparations  for  this  mode  of  death  are 
very  simple,  and  its  action  very  rapid,  owing  to  the  temper  and 
weight  of  the  swords,  and  the  skill  of  those  who  wield  them. 
The  guillotine  never  attained  tlie  lightning-like  rapidity  of  the 
satellites  of  the  dreaded  Yeh,  the  viceroy  from  whom  the  Anglo- 
French  delivered  the  ]>rovince  of  Canton ;  they  could  strike  off  a 
hundred  heads  in  a  few  moments.  Their  master  used  to  boast 
that  their  skill  was  derived  from  a  hundred  tliousand  subjects 
of  experiment  he  had  furnished  them  with  in  less  tlian  two 
years. 

"  The  slow  death  of  stabbing  is  inflicted  for  the  cnmes  of  trea- 
son, parricide,  and  incest.  Tlie  preparation  for  this  mode  of 
punishment  must  double  the  miseries  of  the  condemned  convict. 
Securely  tied  to  a  post,  his  feet  and  hands  fastened  with  ropes, 
his  head  is  placed  in  a  kind  of  pillory,  wliile  the  magistrate  dele- 
gated to  witness  the  execution  of  tlie  sentence,  draws  from  a 
covered  basket  a  knife,  on  tlie  handle  of  wliicli  is  written  the 
part  of  the  body  in  w^hicli  it  is  to  be  inserted.  This  lion*ible 
torture  is  continued  until  chance  selects  the  heart,  or  some  other 
vital  part.  We  hasten  to  add,  that  generally  the  convict's 
friends  pm'chase  the  connivance  of  the  magistrate,  who  takes 
care  to  draw  at  the  very  first  ventm'e,  the  knife  intended  for  the 
jnoi-tal  blow. 

"It  is  little  wonder  that  the  Chinese  accustomed  to  such 
penalties,  and  to  the  hideous  and  frequent  spectacles  they  afford, 
should  early  become  inured  to  the  idea  of  death,  and  that  even 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  295 

their  women  and  children  should  possess  in  the  highest  degree 
the  passive  courage  wliieh  enables  them  to  meet  it  with  c»lmnesFt. 
For  many  of  these  poor  people,  death  is  only  the  welcome  termi- 
nation of  a  miserable  and  painful  existence, 

"  I  had  the  curiosity  to  be  present  at  one  of  the  last  sittings  of 
the  Court,  and  at  my  request  a  place  was  reserved  for  me,  where 
I  could  see  without  being  seen. 


132.— CHISESB    I 

"  The  hall  of  justice  had  nothing  remarkable  in  an  architectm'al 
sense.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  lofty  wall,  nearly  as  high  as  the 
prinoipal  edifice.  The  first  court  is  enclosed  by  buildings  used 
as  prisons.  I  saw  some  boxes  made  of  enormously  thick  bamboo 
bars  placed  at  a  little  distance  apart,  in  which  prisoners  were  shut 
up  d^u^ng  the  night. 

"In  this  court  a  crowd  of  wretched  creatures  with  emaciated 
limbs,  livid  faces,  and  barely  covered  with  a  few  loathsome  rags, 
lay  sweltering  in  the  sun.  Some  were  fastened  by  the  foot  witli 
an  iron  chain  to  a  weight  so  heavy,  that  they  were  unable  to  stir 
it,  and  staggered  round  it  like  caged  wild  beasts,  continually  turn- 


296  THE   YELLOW    RACK 

ing  in  a  space  of  a  few  feet.  Others  had  their  anna  and  legs 
shackled  together,  so  that  they  could  only  move  about  in  short 
jumps,  which  must  have  been  very  painful  to  judge  by  the  expres- 
sion of  their  faces. 

"  One  of  these  prisoners  had  his  left  hand  and  right  foot  fas- 
tened in  a  board  a  few  inches  in  width ;  a  poUceman  di'agged  liim 
forward  by  an  ii-on  cliain  fastened  to  a  Iicavy  collar  clasped  round 


j 

^ 

L    -# 

1 

3^ 

Sh 

Mm 

8 

f^ 

w 

■ 

^H 

Hg 

f^Hp 

nil 

IHMI 

I^BB 

^^^^R 

hia  neck,  whilst  another  flogged  him  from  behind,  to  make  him 
go  on.  This  wretched  creature  crept  along  with  great  difficulty 
on  the  leg  that  was  still  free,  liis  body  bent  double  in  the  most 
painful  position  (fig.  132). 

"  In  another  comer  of  the  court,  other  prisoners  were  under- 
going the  punishment  of  the  cangiie.  I  also  saw  a  painful  sight, 
a  thief  btuied  alive  in  a  wooden  cage. 

"  Imagine  a  hea^-j-  tub  upside  down,  under  which  a 
human  being  is  made  to  crouch;  his  head  and  his  hands  are 
shpped  through  tlu-ee  round  holes,  made  so  excessively  tight  that 
lie  cannot  remove  them ;  the  weight  of  the  cage  presses  on  his 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  2»7 

shoulders,  whatever  moveraent  he  makes  he  must  carry-  it  about 
with  him.  When  he  wishes  to  rest,  he  can  only  crouch  upon  his 
knees  in  a  most  fatiguing  position ;  when  he  wishes  to  take  exer- 
else,  he  can  hardly  lift  the  weight  of  the  tub  (fig.  133).     One 


shrinks  from  attempting  to  realize  tlie  existence  of  a  man  con- 
demned to  a  month  of  such  a  punishment.  The  miserable  sufferer 
I  saw,  being  unable  to  either  eat  or  drink  by  himself,  his  wife 
had  undertaken  to  help  him  ;  she  was  standing  close  to  the  cage 
feeding  him  with  rice  and  some  httle  pieces  of  pork,  which  she 


298  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

pushed  into  his  mouth  with  chop-sticks.  From  time  to  time, 
she  wiped  with  an  old  piece  of  cloth  the  livid  countenance  of  her 
husband,  which  was  running  down  with  perspiration,  whilst  her 
little  child,  slung  to  her  back  with  a  strap,  smiled  in  its  utt^r 
ignorance  of  miseiy,  and  played  with  the  curls  of  its  mother's 
flowing  hair.  This  sight  affected  me  deeply,  and  I  hurried  on  to 
avoid  making  a  protest  against  such  atrocity. 

"  The  entrance  to  the  hall  of  justice  is  embellished  with  an  ex- 
ternal portico,  on  which  some  mythological  scenes  are  painted 
in  glowing  colours. 

**  Presently  the  folding  gates  opened  witli  a  loud  creaking,  and 
admitted  the  crowd  that  had  gatliered  in  the  first  court.  At  the 
end  of  the  large  hall  on  a  raised  dais,  I  perceived  Tchong-louen  in 
his  ceremonial  costmne,  surrounded  with  his  councillors  and  the 
subaltern  officers  of  justice.  In  fi-ont  of  him,  on  a  table  covered 
with  a  red  cloth,  were  the  records  of  criminal  proceedings,  brushes 
xmd  saucers  for  the  Indian  ink,  a  bookcase  containing  the  codes 
and  the  books  of  jurisprudence  that  might  have  to  be  consulted,  and 
a  large  case  full  of  painted  and  numbered  pieces  of  wood.  Behind 
the  mandarin  stood  his  fan-bearer,  and  two  cliildren  richly  dressed 
ill  silk,  who  held  over  his  head  the  insignia  of  his  dignity.  On  the 
twelve  stone  steps  that  ascended  to  the  dais  were  posted,  first,  the 
executioner,  conspicuous  for  his  wire  hat,  and  his  red  dress.  He 
leant  his  right  hand  upon  an  enormous  rattan  cane,  wliile  his  left 
wielded  a  curved  sword  ;  then  came  his  assistants  and  the  jailors 
carrying  different  instruments  of  torture  which  the}'^  clashed  noisily 
together,  Avhilst  continuing  at  measured  intervals  to  utter  homble 
yells,  intended  to  throw  terror  into  the  minds  of  the  prisoners. 
All  round  the  hall  stood  police  soldiers,  in  the  red  tasselled  Man- 
chu  cap,  armed  with  a  short  spear,  and  with  two  swords  sheathed 
in  the  same  scabbai*d.  Red  draperies  inscribed  with  various 
sentences,  and  lanterns  representing  different  monsters  were  hung 
around  the  walls.  In  short,  the  whole  scene  was  got  up  to  impress 
the  eager  and  curious  mob,  which  crowded  thickly  beneatli  the 
overhanging  side  galleries,  with  the  imposing  spectacle  of  the 
8}Tnbols  of  justice,  as  represented  in  fig.  134. 

"  I  witnessed  from  the  place  reserved  for  me  behind  the  judg- 
ment seat  the  trial  of  half  a  score  of  robbera.  I  will  not  attempt 
to  describe  the  scenes  of  torture  that  followed  their  repeated 
denials   of  guilt.     When   a  prisoner  persisted  in  asserting  his 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 


29!) 


innocence,  the  judge  tossed  to  tlie  executioner  one  of  the  painted 
sticks  or  counters  lying  in  tlie  case  on  the  table  before  him,  and 
OQ  which  was  marked  the  number  of  blows  or  the  description  of 
torture  to  be  inflicted.     This  was  immedintelv  carried  into  effect 


under  the  eyes  of  tlie  judge  and  registrai-s  who  made  careful  notes 
of  the  half  avowals  uttered  by  the  ^'ietilu  in  the  midst  of  his 
screams  of  agony." 

Military  matters  are  but  little  attended  to  in  China.     Tina 
sceptical  and  timorous  nation  is  no  believer  in  military  glory  and 


300  THE    YELLOW    RACE. 

power.  Oui'  campaigns  in  China  showed  the  vahie  of  a  Chinese 
army.  General  Cousin  Montauban,  since  Count  de  Palikao,  cut 
numbers  of  them  to  pieces,  after  one  or  two  skirmishes,  in  wliich 
the  Chinese  fled  as  hard  as  they  could  the  very  moment  they 
perceived  a  nniform. 


ISLUS    TROOFRR. 


A  nation  of  four  hundred  miUion  inhabitants  was  conquered  by 
six  thousand  Frenchmen.  The  unworthy  cowardice  of  the 
Chinese  explain  the  fact  that  they  have  always  been  an  easy  prey 
to  conquerors. 


SIKAIC    BRANCH.  *  3OI 

In  Chinese  military  matters  we  will  restrict  ourselves  to  repro- 
dacing  their  uniforms.  Fig.  135  represents  that  of  their  infantry, 
and  fig.  136  that  of  their  momited  troops, 

The  real  army  of  the  Chinese  nation  is  the  care  with  which  it 
holds  itself  aloof  from  foreigners,  and  the  manner  in  which  it 
forbids  them  access  to  its  territory.  Retrenched  behind  its  wall, 
it  is  happy  in  its  own  way  and  does  without  soldiers.  The  system 
seems  a  good  one,  since  it  has  succeeded  for  so  many  centuries. 


Tlie  wall  of  Cliina,  which  rifrorously  excludes  all  strangers  fn)ni 
the  empire,  is  no  mere  metaplior.  It  is  a  solid  reality.  Fig,  137 
gives  a  view  of  the  Great  Wall  taken  near  Peking. 

The  Marquis  de  Moges,  an  attache  of  the  embassy  when  M. 
GroH  was  French  Ambassador  in  China,  has  wittily  summed  up, 
in  his  account  of  his  travels,  the  contrast  between  Chinese  and 
Western  civilization.  "  In  China,"  he  says,  "  the  magnetic  needle 
points  to  the  south ; — the  cardinal  points  are  five  in  number ; — 
the  left  hand  is  the  place  of  honour ; — politeness  requires  you  to 
keep  your  head  covered  in  the  presence  of  a  superior,  or  in  that 
of  a  person  whom  you  wish  to  honour ; — a  book  is  read  from  right  to 


302  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

left ; — fruit  is  eaten  at  the  beginning  of  dinner  and  soup  at  its 
close ; — at  school,  children  learn  their  lessons  aloud  and  repeat 
them  all  together ; — their  silence  is  punished  as  a  sign  of  idleness  ; 
— and  finally,  a  title  of  nobility  conferred  upon  a  man  for  some 
signal  service  rendered  to  the  state,  does  not  descend  to  his 
posterity,  but  goes  backwards  and  ennobles  his  ancestors." 

The  Japanese  Family. 

Japan,  consisting  of  a  large  island,  that  of  Nipon,  and  seven 
other  smaller  islands,  of  which  the  principal  are  Yesso,  Sitkokf, 
and  ICiousiou,  is  inhabited  by  an  industrious  and  intelligent 
people.  The  Japanese,  whilst  resembling  the  Chinese  in  many 
points,  difier  from  them  in  many  others,  and  ai'e  far  superior  in  a 
moral  point  of  view  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Celestial  Empire. 

The  written  character  of  Japan  is  the  same  as  that  of  China, 
and  its  literature  is  not  a  distinctive  one,  but  entirely  Chinese. 
The  two  creeds  of  Buddha  and  of  Confucius  j^revail  in  Jajian  as 
they  do  in  China.  The  worship  of  these  creeds  is  carried  on  in 
both  countries  in  similar  pagodas,  and  tlieir  ministers  ai'e  the 
same  bonzes  with  shaven  heads  and  long  gi^ay  robes.  The 
buildings  and  the  junks  of  both  nations  are  identical.  Theii*  food 
is  the  same,  a  diet  of  vegetables,  principally  rice,  and  fish,  washed 
down  by  plenty  of  tea  and  spirit.  The  coolies  cany  then*  loads 
in  exactly  the  same  manner  in  Japan  and  in  China,  at  Nangasaki 
and  at  Peking,  and  make  the  streets  resound  with  the  same  shrill 
measm^ed  cries.  The  Japanese  women  wear  their  hair  as  the 
Chinese  women  used  to  do  before  they  adoi)ted  the  fashion  of  i)ig- 
tails,  and  the  townspeople  in  Yeddo,  as  in  Nankin,  seclude  them- 
selves in  tlieir  houses,  which  are  impeiTious  both  to  heat  and 
cold. 

But  the  resemblance  stojis  there.  The  Japanese,  a  warlike 
and  feudal  nation,  would  be  indignant  at  being  confounded  with 
the  seiwile  and  crafty  inhabitants  of  the  Celestial  Empii'e,  who 
despise  war,  and  whose  sole  aim  is  commerce.  A  Chinaman 
begins  to  laugh  when  he  is  rej^roached  with  inmning  away  from 
the  enemy,  or  when  he  is  convicted  of  having  told  a  lie ;  such 
matters  give  him  little  concern.  A  Japanese  sets  a  different  value 
on  his  Hfe  and  on  his  honour ;  he  is  warlike  and  haughty.  A 
Japanese  soldier  always  confronts  his  enemy.     To  deprive  him  of 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  303 

his  sword  is  to  dishonour  him,  and  he  will  only  consent  to  take  it 
back  stained  with  the  life-blood  of  his  conqueror.  The  duello, 
unknown  in  China,  is  carried  out  in  a  terrible  fashion  among  the 
Japanese.  The  islander  of  Nipon  disembowels  himself  with  a 
thrust  of  his  own  sword,  and  dares  his  adversarj^  to  follow  his 
example.  The  Chinese  race  live  in  a  state  of  disgusting  and 
perpetual  filth  ;  every  Japanese,  on  the  contrary,  without  distinc- 
tion of  ranli  or  fortune,  takes  a  warm  bath  ever}^  other  day.  Of 
a  jovial  and  frank  disposition,  and  of  great  intelligence,  they  are 
always  desii'ous  of  knowing  what  is  going  on  in  the  world,  and 
ever  anxious  to  learn  ;  whilst  the  Chinese,  on  the  other  hand,  shut 
themselves  up  behind  their  classic  wall,  and  recoil  from  everji-liing 
that  is  strange  to  them.  These  characteristics  show  that  the 
Japanese  are  a  far  superior  race  to  the  Chinese. 

A  few  i^eculiarities,  more  especially  found  in  the  inhabitants  of 
the  sea  coasts,  the  fishermen  and  the  sailors,  separate  the 
Japanese  pliysical  type  from  that  of  the  Chinese.  The  former 
are  small,  vigorous,  active  men  with  heavy  jaws,  tliick  lips,  and 
a  small  nose,  flat  at  the  bridge,  but  yet  with  an  aquiline  profile. 
Their  hair  is  somewhat  inclined  to  be  curlv. 

The  Japanese  are  generally  of  middle  height.  They  have  a 
large  head,  ratlier  higli  shoulders,  a  broad  chest,  a  long  waist, 
fleshy  hips,  slender  short  legs,  and  small  hands  and  feet.  The 
full  lace  of  those  who  have  a  very  retreating  forehead  and 
particularly  prominent  cheek-bones  is  rather  square  than  oval  in 
shape.  Their  eyes  are  more  i)rojecting  than  those  of  Europeans, 
and  are  rather  more  veiled  by  the  eyelid.  The  general  effect  is 
not  that  of  the  Chinese  or  Mongolian  type.  The  Japanese  have 
a  larger  head  than  is  customary  with  individuals  of  these  races, 
their  face  is  longer,  their  features  are  more  regular,  and  their  nose 
is  more  prominent  and  better  shai)ed. 

They  have  all  thick,  sleek,  dark  black  hau',  and  a  considerable 
quantity  of  it  on  their  faces.  The  colour  of  their  skin  vaiies 
according  to  the  class  they  belong  to,  from  the  sallow  sunburnt 
complexion  of  the  inhabitants  of  southern  Europe  to  the  deep 
ta^vny  hue  of  that  of  the  native  of  Java.  The  most  general  tint 
is  a  sallow  brown,  but  none  remind  you  of  the  yellow  skin  of  the 
Chinese.  The  women  are  fairer  than  the  men.  Amongst  the 
upper  and  even  the  middle  classes,  some  are  to  be  met  with  with  a 
perfectly  white  complexion. 


301 


THE    YELLOW    RACE. 


Two  indelible  features  distinguish  the  Japanese  from  the 
European  type.  Their  half-veiled  eyes,  and  a  disfiguring  hollow 
in  the  breast,  which  is  noticeable  in  them  in  the  flower  of  their 
youth,  even  in  the  handsomest  figures. 

Both  men  and  women  have  black  eyes,  and  white  sound  teeth. 


Their  countenance  is  mobile  and  possesses  great  variety  of 
expression.  It  is  the  custom  for  their  married  women  to  blacken 
their  teeth.  The  national  Japanese  costume  is  a  kind  of  open 
dressing  gown  (fig.  138),  which  is  made  a  little  wider  and  a  little 
more  flowing  for  the  women  than  for  the  men.  It  is  fastened 
round  the  waist  by  a  belt.     That,  worn  by  the  men,  is  a  n 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 


305 


silk  sash,  thnt,  by  the  women,  a  broad  piece  of  cloth  tied  in  a 
peculiar  knot  at  the  back. 

The  Japanese  wear  no  linen,  but  they  bathe,  as  we  have  said, 
every  otiier  day.  The  women  wear  an  under- garment  of  red  silk 
crape. 

In  summer,  the  peasants,  the  fishermen,  the  mechanics  and  the 
Indian  coolies  follow  then'  calling  in  a  state  of  almost  complete 
nudity,  and  tlie  women  onlv  wear  a  skirt  from  the  waist  down- 


wards. 'Wlien  it  rains  they  cover  themsebes  with  capes  made  of 
titraw,  or  oiled  paper,  and  with  hats  made,  shield  shape,  of 
cane  bark.  In  winter  the  men  of  the  lower  classes  weai-, 
beneath  tlieir  ktrimon  or  dressing-gown,  a  tight  fiting  vest  and 
pair  of  trousers  of  blue  cotton  stufi',  and  the  women  one  or 
more  wadded  cloaks.  The  middle  classes  always  wear  a  vest  and 
trousers  out  of  doors. 

Pigs.  188, 1S9, 140,  and  141  represent  different  Japanese  types. 

Their  costume  generally  differs  only  in  the  material  of  which  it 
is  made.    The  nobility  alone  have  the  right  to  wear  silk.     They 


306  THE    YELLOW    RACK 

only  wear  their  costlier  dresses  on  the  occasions  of  their  going  to 
court  or  when  they  pay  ceremonial  visits.  All  classes  wear  linen 
socks  and  sandals  of  plaited  straw,  or  wooden  shoes  fastened  by 
a  string  looped  round  the  big  toe.  They  all,  on  their  retom  to 
their  own  house,  or  when  entering  that  of  a  stranger,  take  off 
their  shoes,  and  leave  them  at  the  threshold. 


The  floors  of  Japanese  dwellings  are  covered  with  mattings, 
which  take  the  place  of  every  otlier  kind  of  furniture. 

A  Japanese  has  but  one  wife. 

The  Japanese  have  a  taste  for  science  and  art,  and  are  fond  of 
music  and  pageants.  Their  manufactures  are  largely  developed. 
They  make  all  sorts  of  fine  stuffs,  work  skilfully  in  iron  and 
copper,  make  capital  sword-blades,  and  their  wood  carvings,  their 
lacqaer-work,  and  their  china,  enjoy  a  wide  reputation. 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  307 

Political  power  is  divided  between  an  hereditary  and  despotic 
governor,  the  Tdicoon,  and  a  spiritual  chief,  the  Mikado. 

The  creed  of  Buddhism,  that  of  the  Kamis,  and  the  doctrines 
of  Confucius  equally  divide  the  religious  tendencieg  of  the 
Japanese. 


We  will  give  a  few  details  on  the  interesting  inhabitanta  of 
-fapan,  &oin  the  account  of  a  visit  to  that  country  written  by  M. 
Humbert,  the  Swiss  plenipotentiary  there,  which  was  published 
in  1870  under  the  title  of  "  Japan." 


308  THE   YELLOW    RACK 

M.  Humbert  was  present  at  the  ceremonies  which  took  place 
on  the  occasion  of  an  official  visit  paid  by  the  Taicoon  to  the 
Mikado,  and  he  gives  the  following  account  of  it : — 

'*  While  I  was  in  Japan,  it  happened  that  the  Taicoon  paid  a 
visit  of  courtesy  to  the  Mikado. 

"  This  was  an  extraordinary  event.  It  made  a  great  sensation, 
inspired  the  brush  of  several  native  artists,  and  gave  resident 
foreigners  a  chance  of  seeing  a  little  more  clearly  into  the 
reciprocal  relation  of  the  two  powers  of  the  empire.  Then* 
respective  position  is  really  one  of  considerable  interest. 

**  In  the  first  place,  the  Mikado  has  over  his  temporal  rival  the 
advantage  of  bulh  and  the  prestige  of  his  sacred  character. 
Grandson  of  the  Sun,  he  continues  the  traditions  of  the  gods, 
.the  demi-gods,  the  heroes,  and  the  hereditary  sovereigns  who 
have  reigned  over  Japan  in  an  uninterrupted  succession  since  the 
creation  of  the  empire  of  the  eight  great  islands.  Supreme  head 
of  their  religion,  under  whatever  form  it  may  present  itself  to  the 
people,  he  officiates  as  the  sovereign  pontiff  of  the  ancient 
national  creed  of  the  Kamis.  At  the  sunmier  solstice,  he  offers 
sacrifices  to  the  earth  ;  at  the  winter  solstice,  to  heaven.  A  god 
is  specially  deputed  to  watch  over  his  precious  destiny ;  from  the 
shrine  of  the  temple  he  inliabits  at  the  top  of  Mount  Kamo,  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Mikado's  residence,  this  deity  watches 
night  and  day  over  the  Dairi.  And  finally  at  the  death  of  a 
Mikado,  his  name,  which  it  has  been  ordained  shall  be  inscribed 
in  the  temples  of  his  ancestors,  is  engraved  at  Kioto,  in  the 
temple  of  Hatchiman  ;  and  at  Isye,  in  the  temple  of  the  Sun. 

"It  is  indubitably  from  heaven  that  the  Mikado,  botli  theo- 
cratic emjieror  and  hereditary  sovereign,  derives  the  authority 
which  he  exercises  over  his  people.  Though  now-a-days,  it  must 
be  acknowledged,  he  scarcely  knows  how  to  employ  it.  However, 
from  time  to  time  it  seems  proi)er  to  him  to  confer  pompous 
titles,  which  are  entirely  honorary,  on  a  few  old  feudal  nobles 
who  have  desen^ed  well  of  the  altar.  Sometimes  also  he  allows 
himself  the  luxury  of  openly  protesting  against  those  acts  of 
the  temporal  i)ower,  which  seem  to  infringe  on  his  prerogatives. 
This  is  the  course  he  took  with  special  reference  to  the  treaties 
made  by  the  Taicoon  with  several  western  nations ;  it  is  true 
that  he  finally  sanctioned  them,  but  that  was  because  he  could 
not  help  himself. 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  309 

*'  Now  the  Ta'icoon,  as  everybody  knows,  is  the  fortunate 
successor  of  a  common  usuq>er.  In  fact,  the  founders  of  his 
dynasty,  subjects  of  the  then  Mikado,  robbed  their  lord  and 
master  of  liis  army,  his  navy,  his  lands,  and  his  treasure,  as  if  they 
were  desirous  of  dej)riving  him  of  any  subject  of  earthly  anxiety. 

**  Possibly  the  jVIikado  was  too  ready  to  fall  in  with  their  plans. 
The  offer  of  a  two-wheeled  chariot  drawn  by  an  ox,  for  his  daily 
drive  in  the  pai'ks  of  his  residence,  doubtless  a  considemble 
privilege  in  a  country  where  nobody  uses  a  conveyance,  should 
not  have  persuaded  him  to  sacrifice  the  manly  exercises  of 
archery,  hawking,  and  himting  the  stag  or  wild  boar.  He  might 
likewise,  without  making  himself  absolutely  invisible,  have  spai'ed 
himself  the  fatigue  of  the  ceremonious  recei)tions  where,  motion- 
less on  a  raised  platform,  he  accepts  the  silent  adoration  of  his 
courtiers  prostrated  at  his  feet.  The  Mikado,  now,  they  say,  only 
commimicates  with  the  exterior  world  through  the  medium  of  the 
female  attendants  intrusted  with  the  care  of  his  person.  It  is 
they  who  dress  and  feed  him,  clothing  him  daily  in  a  fresh 
costume,  and  serving  his  meals  on  table  utensils  fresh  every  morn- 
ing from  the  manufactory  which  for  centuries  has  monopolized 
their  supply.  His  sacred  feet  never  touch  the  gi'ound ;  his 
countenance  is  never  exposed  in  broad  daylight  to  the  common 
gaze  ;  in  a  word,  the  Mikado  must  be  kept  pure  from  all  contact 
with  the  elements,  the  sim,  the  moon,  the  earth,  mankind,  and 
himself. 

*'  It  was  necessary  that  the  interview  should  take  place  at  Kioto, 
the  holy  town  which  the  Mikado  is  never  allowed  to  leave.  His 
palace,  and  the  ancient  temples  of  his  family  are  his  sole  personal 
possessions  there,  the  town  itself  being  imder  the  rule  of  the  tem- 
poral emperor ;  but  the  latter  dedicates  its  revenues  to  the  ex- 
penses of  tlie  spiritual  sovereign,  and  condescends  to  keep  up  a 
permanent  garrison  within  its  walls  for  the  protection  of  the 
pontifical  thi-one. 

*'  The  i^reliminaries  on  both  sides  having  been  carried  out,  a 
proclamation  announced  the  day  when  the  Taicoou  intended  to 
issue  forth  from  his  capital,  the  immense  and  populous  modem 
town  of  Yeddo,  the  head-quarters  of  the  political  and  civil  govern- 
ment of  the  empire,  the  seat  of  the  Naval  and  Military  Schools, 
of  the  Interpreters'  College,  and  of  the  Academy  of  Medicine 
and  Philosophy. 


310  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

"  He  was  preceded  by  a  division  of  his  army  equipped  in  the 
European  manner,  and,  while  these  picked  troops,  infantry, 
cayaky,  and  artillery,  were  marching  on  Kioto  by  land  along  the 
great  Imperial  highway  of  the  Tokaido,  the  fleet  received  orders  to 
set  sail  for  the  inland  sea*  The  temporal  sovereign  himself,  em- 
barked in  the  splendid  steamer,  the  Lycemoon,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased of  the  firm  of  Dent  and  Co.  for  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  Six  other  steamers  escorted  him;  the  Kandimarrah, 
notorious  for  its  voyage  fi'om  Yeddo  to  San-Francisco  to  conve}' 
the  Japanese  embassy  sent  to  the  United  States;  the  sloop  of 
war,  the  Soembing,  a  gift  from  the  King  of  the  Netherlands  ;  the 
yacht  Emperor,  a  present  from  Queen  Victoria ;  and  some  frigates 
built  in  America  and  in  Holland  to  orders  given  by  the  embassies 
of  1859  and  1862.  Manned  entirely  by  Japanese  crews,  this 
squadron  left  the  bay  of  Yeddo,  doubled  Cape  Sagami  and  the 
promontory  of  Idsou,  crossed  the  Ijinschoten  straits,  and  coasting 
along  the  eastern  shores  of  the  island  of  Awadsi,  dropped  its 
anchors  in  the  Hiogo  roadstead,  where  the  Taicoon  disembarked 
amid  larboard  and  starboard  salutes. 

"  His  state  entry  into  Kioto  took  place  a  few  days  later,  with 
no  military  parade  but  that  of  his  own  troops,  as  the  Mikado 
possesses  neither  soldiers  nor  artillery,  with  the  exception  of  a 
body-guard  of  archers,  recruited  from  the  families  of  his  kinsmen 
or  of  the  feudal  nobility.  Indeed,  he  can  hardly  afford  even  on 
this  moderate  scale,  the  expenses  of  his  court;  and  his  own 
revenue  being  insufficient,  he  is  obliged  to  accept  with  one  hand 
an  income  the  Taicoon  consents  to  pay  him  out  of  his  own  private 
purse,  and  with  the  other,  the  amounts  that  the  brethren  of  a  few 
monastic  orders  yearly  collect  for  him,  fi'om  village  to  village,  in 
even  the  furthest  provinces  of  the  empire.  Another  circumstance 
that  assists  him  to  support  his  rank,  is  the  disinterested  abnega- 
tion of  many  of  his  high  officials.  Some  of  them  serve  him  with 
no  other  remuneration  but  the  free  use  of  the  costly  regulation 
dresses  of  the  old  imperial  wardrobe.  On  their  return  home, 
after  doffing  their  court  costume,  these  haughty  gentlemen  are 
not  ashamed  to  seat  themselves  at  a  weavers'  loom  or .  an  em- 
broidery frame.  More  than  one  piece  of  the  rich  silk  productions 
of  Kioto,  the  handiwork  of  which  is  so  much  admired,  has  issued 
from  some  of  the  princely  houses,  whose  names  are  inscribed  in 
the  register  of  the  Kamis. 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 


''  These  drawbacks  did  not  prevent  the  Mikado  from  inaugurating 

the  day  of  the  interview,  by  exhibiting  to  his  royal  visitor  the 
spectacle  of  the  grand  procession  of  the  D^iri.  Accompanied  by 
hia  archers,  by  his  household,  by  his  courtiers,  and  by  the  whole 


of  his  pontifical  staff,  he  left  liis  palace  by  the  southern  gateway, 
which,  towards  the  close  of  the  nintli  centurj',  was  decorated  by 
the  historical  compositions  of  the  celebrated  painter-poet,  Kose 
Kanaoka.     He  descended  along  the  boulevards  to  the  suburb 


312  THE   YELLOW   EACE. 

washed  by  the  Yodogawa,  and  returned  to  the  castle  through  the 
principal  streets  of  the  town. 

**  The  ancient  insignia  of  his  supreme  power  were  carried  in 
state  at  the  head  of  the  procession ;  the  mirror  of  his  ancesti*ess 
Izanami,  the  beautiful  goddess  who  gave  birth  to  the  sun  in  the 
island  of  Awadsi;  the  glorious  standard,  the  long  paper  streamers 
of  which  had  waved  above  the  heads  of  the  soldiery  of  Zinmou 
the  conqueror ;  the  flaming  sword  of  the  hero  of  Yamato,  who 
overcame  the  eight-headed  hydra  to  which  virgins  of  princelj' 
blood  used  to  be  sacrificed ;  the  seal  tliat  stamped  the  fii*st  laws 
of  the  empire ;  and  the  cedar  wood  fan,  shaped  like  a  lath  and 
used  as  a  sceptre,  which  for  more  than  two  thousand  years  has 
descended  from  the  hands  of  the  dead  Mikado  to  those  of  his 
successor. 

"  I  will  not  stop  to  describe  another  part  of  the  pageant,  in- 
tended doubtless  to  complete  and  enhance  the  effect  of  the  rest, 
namely  the  banners  embroidered  with  the  armorial  beaidngs  of 
all  the  ancient  noble  families  of  the  empire.  Perhaps  they  were 
intended  to  remind  the  Taicoon,  that,  in  the  eyes  of  the  old  terri- 
torial nobility,  he  was  nothing  but  a  parvenu ;  if  so,  the  parvenu 
could  smile  complacently  at  the  thought,  that  the  whole  of  the 
Japanese  grandees,  the  great  as  well  as  the  lesser  dai'mios,  are, 
nevertheless,  obliged  to  pass  six  months  of  the  year,  at  his 
Court  in  Yeddo,  and  offer  him  their  homage  in  the  midst  of  the 
nobles  of  his  own  creation. 

"  The  most  numerous  and  the  most  pictm'esque  ranks  of  the 
procession  were  those  of  the  representatives  of  all  the  sects  who 
recognise  the  spiritual  supremacy  of  the  Mikado.  The  dignitaries 
of  the  ancient  creed  of  the  Kamis  are  scarcely  distinguishable,  as 
to  dress,  from  the  high  officials  of  the  palace.  I  have  already 
described  their  costume,  it  reminds  the  spectators  that  the 
Japanese  possessed  originally  a  religion  without  a  priesthood. 
Buddhism,  on  the  contrar}-,  which  came  from  China,  and  rapidly 
spread  tluroughout  the  emi)ire,  has  an  immense  variet}'  of  sects, 
rites,  orders,  and  brotherhoods.  The  bonzes  and  the  monks  be- 
longing to  this  faith  composed  in  the  procession  endless  ranks  of 
devout-looking  individuals,  with  the  tonsure  or  with  entirely 
shaven  heads,  some  of  them  uncovered,  and  some  wearing  curiously 
shaped  caps,  mitres,  and  hats  with  ^vide  brims.  Some  of  them 
carried  a  crozier  in  their  right  hand,  others  a  rosary,  others  again, 


SINAIC   BRANCH.  313 

a  fly-brush,  a  sea-shell,  or  a  holy  water  sprinkler  made  of  paper. 
They  were  di'essed  in  cassocks,  surplices,  and  cloaks  of  every  shape 
and  hue. 

*'  Behind  them  came  the  household  of  the  Mikado.  The  pon- 
tifical body-guard  in  their  full  dress,  aim  beyond  everything  at 
elegance.  Leaving  breast-plates  and  coats  of  mail  to  the  men-at- 
aiTUs  of  the  Taicoon,  they  wear  a  little  lacquer-work  cap,  orna- 
mented on  both  sides  with  rosettes,  and  a  rich  silk  tunic  trimmed 
with  lace  edgings.  The  width  of  their  trousers  conceals  their  feet. 
They  are  equipped  with  a  large  curved  sabre,  a  bow,  and  a  quiver 
full  of  aiTows. 

*' Some  of  the  mounted  ones  had  a  long  riding- whip  fastened 
to  their  wrist  by  a  coarse  silken  cord. 

**  A  great  deal  of  brutaUty  is  too  often  hidden  beneath  this 
imposing  exterior.  The  wildness  and  the  dissipation  of  the 
3'oung  nobles  of  the  Japanese  pontifical  couii;  have  supplied 
liistory  with  pages  recalling  the  worst  period  of  papal  Rome,  the 
days  of  Caesar  Borgia.  Conrad  Kramer,  the  envoy  of  the  Dutch 
West  Indian  islands  to  the  court  of  Kioto,  was  allowed  to  be 
present  in  1626  at  a  festival  held  in  honour  of  a  visit  of  the 
temporal  emperor  to  his  spiritual  sovereign.  He  relates  that  the 
following  day,  coi^pses  of  women,  young  girls,  and  children,  who 
had  fallen  victims  to  nocturnal  outrages,  were  foimd  in  the  streets 
of  the  capital.  A  still  larger  number  of  married  women  and 
maidens,  whom  curiosity  had  attracted  to  Kioto,  were  lost  by  their 
husbands  and  parents  in  the  turmoil  of  the  crowded  streets,  and 
were  only  found  a  week  or  a  fortnight  later,  their  families  being 
utterly  unable  to  bring  their  abducers  to  justice. 

**  Polygamy  being  a  legal  institution  for  the  Mikado  only,  it 
was  perhaps  natural  for  him  to  make  some  display  of  his  prero- 
gative. It  costs  him  sufficiently  dear.  It  is  the  abyss  hidden 
with  flowers  that  the  first  usurpers  of  the  imperial  power  dug  for 
the  feet  of  the  successors  of  Zinmou.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  the 
c}Tiical  smile  on  the  lips  of  the  Taicoon  as  he  saw  the  long  row  of 
the  equipages  of  the  Dairi  making  its  appearance. 

**  A  pair  of  black  buffaloes,  driven  by  pages  in  white  smocks, 
were  harnessed  to  each  of  these  cumbrous  vehicles  which  were 
made  of  precious  woods  and  glistened  with  coats  of  varnish  of 
different  tints.  They  contained  the  empress  and  the  twelve  other 
legitimate  wives  of  the  Mikado  seated  behind  doors  of  open  lattice- 


314  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

work.    His  favourite  concubines,  and  the  fifty  ladies  of  honour  of 
the  empress  followed  close  behind,  in  covered  palanquins* 

''  When  the  Mikado  himself  leaves  his  residence,  it  is  always 
in .  his  pontifical  litter*  This  litter,  fastened  on  long  shafts, 
and  borne  by  fifty  porters  in  white  liveries,  can  be  seen  from  a 
long  distance  off  towering  above  the  crowd*  It  is  constructed  in 
the  shape  of  a  mikosis,  the  kind  of  shrine  in  which  the  holy  relics 
of  the  Kamis  are  exposed*  It  may  be  compared  to  a  garden 
summer-house,  with  a  cupola  roof  with  bells  hanging  all  round  its 
base.  On  the  top  of  the  cupola  there  is  a  ball,  and  on  top  of  the 
ball  there  is  a  kind  of  cock  couchant  on  its  spurs,  with  its  wings 
extended  and  its  tail  spread :  this  is  meant  as  a  representation  of 
the  mythological  bird  known  in  China  and  Japan  under  the  name 
of  Foo. 

"  This  portable  summer-house,  glistening  all  over  with  gold,  is 
so  very  hermetically  closed  that  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  any 
body  could  be  put  inside  it*  A  proof,  however,  that  it  is  really 
used  for  the  high  purpose  attributed  to  it,  is  that  on  each  side  of 
it  are  seen  walking  the  women  who  are  the  domestic  attendants  of 
the  Mikado.  They  alone  have  the  privilege  of  surroimding  his 
person.  To  the  rest  of  his  court  as  well  as  to  his  people,  the 
Mikado  remains  an  invisible,  dumb,  and  inapproachable  divinity. 
He  kept  up  this  character  even  in  the  interview  with  the  Taicoon. 

"Amongst  the  group  of  buildings  that  constitute  the  right  of 
Kioto  to  be  styled  the  pontifical  residence,  there  is  one  that  might 
be  called  the  Temple  of  Audience,  for  it  is  constructed  in  the 
sacred  style  of  architecture  peculiar  to  the  religious  edifices  of  the 
faith  of  the  Kamis,  and  it  bears  like  them  the  name  of  Min. 
Adjoining  the  apartments  inhabited  by  the  Mikado,  it  stands  at 
the  bottom  of  a  large  court  paved  and  planted  with  trees,  in 
which  are  marshalled  the  escorts  of  honom*  on  high  and  solemn 
festivals. 

"  A  detachment  of  officers  of  the  artillery  and  of  the  body- 
guards of  the  Taicoon  (fig.  143),  and  several  groups  of  dignitaries 
of  the  Mikado's  suite  drew  up  successively  in  this  open  space. 

"  The  women  had  retired  to  their  own  apartments. 

"  Deputations  of  bonzes  and  different  monastic  orders  occu- 
pied the  corridors  along  the  surrounding  walls.  Soldiers  of  the 
Taicoonal  garrison  of  Kioto,  ported  at  intervals,  kept  the  line  of 
the  avenue  which  led  to  the  broad  steps  reaching  up  to  the  front 


of  the  building.    Up  thia  avenue  the  courtiers  of  the  Mikado,  clad 
in  mantles  with  long  trains,  passed  with  measured  tread,  m^esti-, 


316  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

cally  ascended  the  steps,  and  placed  themselves  right  and  left  on 
the  verandah  with  their  faces  turned  towards  the  still  closed  doors 
of  the  great  throne  room.  Before  taking  up  their  position  they 
took  care  to  lift  the  trains  of  their  mantles  and  throw  them  over 
the  balustrade  of  the  verandah,  so  as  to  display  to  the  crowd  the 
coats  of  arms  which  were  embroidered  on  these  portions  of  their 
garments.  The  whole  verandah  was  soon  curtained  with  this 
brilliant  kind  of  tapestry. 

"Presently  the  sound  of  flutes,  of  sea-shells  and  of  the  gongs 
of  the  pontifical  chapel,  proceeding  from  the  left  wing  of  the 
building,  announced  that  the  Mikado  was  entering  the  sanctuary. 
A  deep  silence  fell  upon  the  crowd.  An  hour  passed  away  in 
solemn  expectation,  whilst  the  preliminaries  of  the  reception  were 
being  performed.  Suddenly  a  flourish  of  tnunpets  announced  the 
arrival  of  the  Taicoon.  He  advanced  up  the  avenue  on  foot  and 
without  any  escort ;  his  prime  minister,  the  commanders  in  chief 
of  the  army  and  navy,  and  a  few  members  of  the  council  of  the 
Court  of  Yeddo,  walked  at  a  respectful  distance  behind  him.  He 
stopped  for  a  moment  at  the  foot  of  the  great  staircase,  and 
immediately  the  doors  of  the  temple  slowly  opened,  gliding  from 
right  to  left  in  tlieir  grooves.  He  then  ascended  the  steps,  and 
the  spectacle  which  had  held  in  suspense  the  expectation  of  the 
multitude  at  last  unveiled  itself  to  their  eyes. 

"  A  large  green  awning  of  cane-bark  fastened  to  the  ceiling  of 
the  hall,  hung  witliin  two  or  three  feet  of  the  floor.  Through 
this  narrow  space,  could  be  perceived  a  couch  of  mats  and  carpets, 
on  which  the  broad  folds  of  an  ample  white  robe  spread  tliem- 
selves  out.  This  was  all  that  could  be  seen  of  the  spectacle  of  the 
Mikado  on  his  throne. 

*'  The  chinks  in  the  i)laits  of  the  cane  awning  allowed  him  to 
see  everything  without  being  seen.  Wherever  he  directed  his 
gaze,  he  perceived  nothing  but  heads  bent  before  his  invisible 
majesty.  One  alone  remained  erect  on  the  summit  of  the  stairs  of 
the  temple,  but  it  was  one  crowned  with  the  lofty  golden  coronet, 
the  royal  s}Tnbol  of  the  temporal  head  of  the  empii'e.  And 
even  he  too,  the  powerful  sovereign  whose  might  is  boundless, 
when  he  had  reached  the  last  step,  bent  his  head,  and  sinking 
slowly,  fell  on  his  knees,  stretched  his  arms  forward  towards  the 
threshold  of  the  throne-room,  and  bowed  his  forehead  to  the 
very  groimd. 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  317 

"  From  that  moment,  the  ceremony  of  the  inteiiiew  was 
ftccomplished,  the  aim  of  the  solemnity  vias  gained.  The 
Taicoon  had  openly  prostrated  himself  at  the  feet  of  the 
JMikado. 

"  The  inteiTiew  at  Kioto,  had  for  its  result  two  facts.     By  the 


firet,  the  bending  of  the  tnee,  the  temporal  sovereign  showed 
that  he  continued  to  be  the  traditional  obedient  son  of  the  high 
pontiff  of  the  national  religion ;  but,  by  the  second,  that  is  to  say 
by  accepting  this  act  of  homage,  the  theocratic  emperor  formally 
recognised  the  representative  of  a  dj-nasty  sprung  from  a  source 
alien  to  the  only  legitimate  one." 


318  THE   YELLOW   RACK 

As  the  art  of  war  is  of  some  importance  in  Japan,  we  quote  a 
few  details  from  M.  Hxmibert,  on  the  equipments  and  the  uniforms 
of  the  Taicoon's  soldiers. 

"The  common  soldiers  are/*  M.  Humbert  tells  us,  "inhabi- 
tants of  the  mountains  of  Akoui.  They  return  to  their  homes 
after  a  short  service  of  two  or  three  years.  Their  uniform  is 
made  of  blue  cotton  stuff,  striped  with  white  across  the  shoulders, 
and  consists  of  a  tight-fitting  pair  of  trousers,  and  a  sliirt  Uke 
that  worn  by  the  followers  of  Garibaldi.  They  wear  cotton 
socks,  leather  sandals,  and  a  waist-belt  supporting  a  large  sword 
in  a  japanned  scabbard.  Their  cartridge-pouch  and  their 
bayonet  are  slung  to  their  right  side  by  a  baldric.  Their  get-up 
is  completed  by  a  pointed  hat,  sloping  at  the  sides,  and  made  of 
lacquered  cardboard ;  but  tliey  only  wear  it  when  on  guard  or  at 
driU. 

"  As  for  the  muskets  of  the  Japanese  troops,  they  have  all,  it  is 
true,  percussion-locks,  but  they  vary  both  in  calibre  and  in  make, 
according  to  where  they  happen  to  come  from.  I  saw  four  dif- 
ferent kinds  in  the  racks  of  some  barracks  at  Benten,  which  a 
Yakounine  did  me  the  favour  to  show  me.  He  showed  me  first 
a  Dutch  sample  musket,  and  then  one  of  an  inferior  quality 
manufactured  in  some  workshops  that  had  been  started  in  Yeddo 
to  turn  out  arms  copied  from  this  sample ;  he  then  pointed  out 
an  American  gun ;  and  finally,  a  IMinie  rifle,  the  use  of  which  a 
yoimg  officer  was  teaching  a  squad  of  soldiers  in  the  barrack- 
yard." 

The  dress  of  the  Japanese  soldiery  is  cm-ious  in  this  respect, 
that  it  reproduces  and  preserves  the  whole  military  paraphernalia 
of  European  feudal  times.  A  helmet,  a  coat-of-mail,  a  halberd, 
and  a  two-handed  sword,  such  are  the  equipment  of  the  better 
class  of  soldiery. 

Fencing  is  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  Japanese  army.  The 
men  are  very  clever  at  this  exercise,  which  keeps  up  their  vigour 
and  their  skill.  Even  the  women  practise  it.  Their  weapon  is 
a  lance  with  a  bent  piece  of  iron  at  the  end  of  it.  The  ladies 
learn  how  to  use  it  in  a  series  of  regular  positions  and  attitudes. 
The  Japanese  Amazons  can  also  skilfully  make  use  of  a  kind  of 
knife,  fastened  to  the  wrist  with  a  long  silken  string.  When  they 
have  hurled  this  weapon  at  the  head  of  their  enemy,  they  draw  it 
back  again  by  means    of  the  cord.      The   men  also  hurl  the 


8INAIC  BRANCH.  ai9 

knife,  but  without  fastening  it  to  their  wrist,  and  in  the  same 
way  as  they  practise  throwing  the  knife  in  Spain. 

The  Japanese  nobles  carry  very  costly  weapons.  The  temper 
of  their  sword-blades  is  matchless,  and  their  sword-hilts  and 
scabbards  are  enriched  with  finely  chased  and  engraved  metal 
ornaments.  But  the  chief  value  of  their  swords  lies  in  their 
great  age  and  reputation.  In  old  feunilies,  every  sword  has  a 
history  and  tradition  of  its  own,  whose  brilliancy  corresponds 
with  the  blood  it  has  shed.  A  maiden  sword  must  not  remain 
so  in  the  hand  of  its  purchaser.  Till  an  opportunity  turns  up  of 
dyeing  it  with  human  blood,  its  possessor  tries  its  prowess 
on  living  animals,  or  better  still,  on  the  corpses  of  executed 
criminals.  The  executioner,  having  obtained  permission,  hands 
him  over  two  or  three  dead  bodies.  Our  Japanese  then  proceeds 
to  fasten  them  to  crosses,  or  on  trestles,  in  a  coiurtyard  of  his 
house,  and  practises  cutting,  slashing,  and  thrusting,  till  he  has 
acquired  enough  strength  and  skill  to  cut  a  couple  of  bodies  in 
two  at  one  stroke. 

The  sword,  in  Japan,  is  the  classical,  the  national  weapon. 
Nevertheless,  in  process  of  time,  it  will  have  to  give  way  to 
the  new  improved  firearms.  In  spite  of  the  traditional  prestige 
with  which  the  Japanese  nobility  still  endeavour  to  surround 
the  former  old-fashioned  weapon;  in  spite  of  the  contempt 
they  affect  for  military  innovations;  the  rifle,  the  democratio 
ixrm  of  arms,  is  becoming  more  and  more  used  in  Japan.  This 
weapon  will  inaugurate  a  social  revolution  that  will  put  an  end 
to  the  feudal  system.  The  rifle  will  cause  an  Eastern  '89  in 
Japan. 

We  have  said  that  two  creeds  are  followed  in  Japan,  the 
Buddhist  faith  and  the  religion  of  the  Kamis.  The  latter,  with 
its  ancient  rites,  has  been  replaced,  however,  nearly  throughout 
the  empire  by  the  former. 

We  quote  some  of  M.  Humbert's  remarks  on  Buddhism. 

*'Our  imagination  can  hardly  conceive,"  says  this  traveller, 
*'  that  nearly  a  third  6f  the  human  race  has  no  religious  belief 
but  that  of  Buddhism,  a  creed  without  a  God,  a  fSuth  of  negation, 
an  invention  of  despair. 

''  One  would  wish  to  persuade  oneself  that  the  multitudes  who 
follow  its  doctrines,  do  not  understand  the  faith  they  profess^  or 
at  least  refuse  to  admit  its  natural  consequences.    The  idolatrous 


320  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

practices  engrafted  on  the  book  of  its  law  seem  in  fact  to  bear 
witness  that  Buddhism  has  neither  been  able  to  satisfy  or  destroy 
the  religious  instinct  innate  in  man,  and  germinating  in  the 
bosoms  of  all  nations. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  impossible  not  to  recognize  the 
influence  of  the  philosophy  of  final  annihilation  in  many  of  the 
habits  and  customs  of  Japanese  life.  The  Irowa  teaches  the 
school  children  that  life  disappears  like  a  dream,  and  leaves  no 
trace  behind.  A  Japanese,  arrived  at  man's  estate,  sacrifices  with 
the  most  disdainful  indifference  his  own  life  or  that  of  his  neigh- 
bour, to  appease  his  pride,  or  for  some  trifling  cause  of  anger. 
Murders  and  suicides  are  of  such  every-day  occurrence  in  Japan, 
that  there  are  few  families  of  gentle  birth  who  do  not  make  it  a 
point  of  honour  to  boast  at  least  one  sword  that  has  been  dyed  in 
blood. 

"  Buddhism  is,  however,  superior  in  some  respects  to  the  creeds 
it  has  dethroned.  It  owes  this  relative  superiority  to  the  justice 
of  its  fimdamental  axiom,  which  is  an  avowal  of  a  need  for  a 
redeeming  principle,  groimded  on  the  double  fact  of  the  existence 
of  evil  in  the  nature  of  man,  and  of  an  universal  state  of  misery 
and  suffeiing  in  the  world. 

"  The  promises  of  the  religion  of  the  Kamis  had  all  reference 
to  this  life.  A  strict  observance  of  the  niles  of  purification  would 
l)reserve  the  faithful  from  the  five  great  ills,  which  ai'e  the  fire  of 
heaven,  sickness,  poverty,  exile,  and  early  death.  The  aim  of 
their  religious  festivals  was  the  glorification  of  the  heroes  of  the 
empire.  But  were  patriotism  idealized  and  exalted  into  a 
national  creed,  it  would  still  be  true  that  this  natural  feeling,  so 
precious  and  so  aj^propriate,  could  never  suffice  to  satisfy  the 
soul  and  answer  its  everj^  craving.  The  human  soul  is  more 
boundless  tlian  the  world.  It  needs  a  beUef  to  raise  it  beyond 
the  eaiih.  Buddhism  to  a  certain  extent  met  these  aspirations, 
which  had  been  hitherto  neglected.  This  circmnstance  alone 
will  explain  the  success  with  which  it  is  propagated,  in  Japan  and 
elsewhere,  by  the  mere  force  of  persuasion.  At  all  events  we  may 
well  believe  that  it  is  not  its  abstract  and  philosophical  form  that 

§ 

has  made  it  so  popular,  and  nothing  is  a  better  proof  of  this  than 
its  present  state. 

**  The  bonzes  Sinran,  Nitziten,  and  twenty  or  thirty  others, 
have  made  themselves  a  reputation  as  founders  of  sects,  each  of 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  321 

which  is  distinguished  by  some  pecnUarity  worthy  of  rivalling 
the  ingenious  invention  of  Foudaiisi. 

"  Thus   one   particular  brotherhood   has  a  monopoly  of  the 
patronage  of  the  great  family  rosary.     It  must  be  explained  that  a 


Buddhist  rosary  can  only  exercise  its  power  if  its  beads  are 
properly  enumerated.  Now  in  a  numerous  family  there  is  no 
guarantee  against  errors  being  committed  in  the  use  of  the  rosary; 
whence  the  inefficiency  it  is  sometimes  accused  of.  Instead  of 
indulging  in  recrimination,  however,  the  plan  pursued  is  to  seod 


322  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

for  a  bonze  of  the  Order  of  the  Great  Rosary  to  set  matters  right 
again. 

"  This  good  man  hastens  up  with  his  instrument,  which  is 
about  as  big  as  a  good-sized  boa-constrictor,  and  places  it  in  the 
hands  of  the  family  kneeling  in  a  circle,  whilst  he  himself,  standing 
ill  firont  of  the  shrine  of  the  domestic  idol,  directs  operations  with 
&  bell  and  a  small  hammer.  At  a  given  signal,  father,  mother,  and 
children,  intone  with  the  whole  force  of  their  lungs  the  prayers 
agreed  upon.  The  small  and  the  large  beads  of  the  rosary  and 
the  strokes  of  the  hammer  fall  with  a  cadenced  rhythm  that 
inspires  them.  The  rosary  ring  grows  excited,  their  cries 
become  passionate,  their  arms  and  hands  work  like  machinery, 
the  perspiration  sti-eams  do^vn  them,  and  their  bodies  get  stiff 
with  fatigue.  At  last  the  close  of  the  ceremony  leaves  everybody 
breathless,  exhausted,  but  radiant  with  happiness,  for  the  inter- 
ceding gods  must  be  satisfied  ! 

"  Buddhism  is  a  flexible  conciliating,  insinuating  religion, 
wjbich  accommodates  itself  to  the  bent  and  the  habits  of  the  most 
different  races.  From  the  very  first,  the  bonzes  in  Japan 
managed  to  get  themselves  entrusted  with  some  of  the  shrines 
and  small  chapels  of  the  Kamis,  in  order  to  protect  them  in  the 
enclosures  of  theii*  sanctuai'ies.  They  hastened  to  add  to  their 
ceremonies  spnbols  borrowed  from  the  ancient  national  faith . 
and  in  short,  for  the  i^urjiose  of  better  fusing  the  two  creeds, 
they  introduced  into  their  temples,  Kamis  deities  invested  with 
the  titbs  and  attributes  of  Hindoo  divinities,  and  at  the  same 
time,  Hindoo  gods  transformed  into  Japanese  Kamis.  There 
was  nothing  inadmissible  in  these  exchanges,  wliich  were  ex- 
plained in  the  most  natural  manner  by  the  dogma  of  transmigra- 
tion. Thanks  to  this  combination  of  the  two  creeds,  which 
received  the  name  of  Rioobou-Sintoo,  Buddhism  has  become  the 
prevalent  religion  of  Japan. 

"  .  .  .  .  Within  their  temples  the  bonzes  officiate  at  the  altar, 
in  the  sight  of  the  people,  beyond  the  sanctuary  which  a  veil 
separates  from  the  crowd.  The  latter  are  only  directly  addressed 
by  them  in  preaching,  and  only  on  the  special  festivals  consecrated 
to  this  practice. 

"  They  are  only  allowed  to  go  in  procession  at  certain  periods 
of  the  year,  and  then  only  in  the  presence  of  the  government 
officials  who  superintend  public  pageants. 


SINAIC    BRASCH. 


"  The  pastoral  portions  of  tlieir  duty  have  been  cat  down  to 
such  naiTow  hinits  that  I  can  only  find  one  word  to  applj  to  the 


jj^v  "^^  i  1 

'^*  H^ 

iK::v.. 

.^^m 

v  1                 ^^1 

■^^'^^^^^iL-^ 

^3 

IHK    .^iiiM 

^fefr 

^^^H 

''=i-%,pii«i^,.:^u.i^^- ■ 

""   '■ 

jffiBIB 

l.t=!— 1=^ 

V^»K 

^l^^Hhk  -—                 ,''-'-39H 

>-  -„.^-*at'- 

146. — JAFAKESE    t 


duties  that  remain.     They  are  simply  the  duties  of  a  mute.     In 
fact,  the  bonzes  perform  the  aacramental  ceremonies  that  the 


:C  BRANCH. 


women  wear  besides  a  scarf  across 
from  tlic  delicacy  of  Iier  features,  a 
elve  ti)  twenty  need  but  little  envy  tlie 

lu-  stutuaiT. 

Lonntelv  fond  of  trinkets.     Piovided  tliev 


■  live  rual  or  falhc.     They 
1   tli«ir   c'liiM'  'i'   viag»,    braecletw, 

'  owl  mlwi  """■  *l>«n  on  'bcir 


i     ill.   I 


3Sf4  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

Japanese  of  all  sects  are  accustomed  to  see  accompany  the  last 
moments  of  the  dying.  They  arrange  the  funeral  procession,  and 
provide,  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  relatives  of  the  deceased, 
for  the  burial  or  for  the  burning  of  his  remains,  and  for  the 
consecration  and  protection  of  his  tomb.*' 

The  Indo-Chinese  Family. 

The  people  of  Indo-China,  whom  we  consider  to  belong  to  the 
Tellow  Bace,  have  a  darker  complexion  than  the  Chinese  and  the 
Japanese.  Their  stature  is  smaller,  and  their  civilization  is  less 
developed.     They  are  generally  of  an  indolent  disposition. 

To  this  group  belong  the  Burmans,  the  Annamites  and  the 
Siamese. 

The  Burmans  and  the  Annamites. — The  Burmese  are  a  nation 
which  has  made  a  good  deal  of  progress  in  civilization.  In  this 
respect  the  Annamites  are  not  behind  them.  The  physical, 
moral,  and  political  characteristics  of  these  two  nations  have  no 
particular  point  of  interest  to  engage  our  attention.  We  content 
ourselves  with  showing  the  reader  (figs.  147  and  148)  the  types 
and  the  costumes  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Burmese  Empire. 

The  Siamese, — The  population  of  the  kingdom  of  Siam,  which 
amounts  to  nearly  five  millions,  scarcely  includes  two  millions  of 
Siamese. 

The  Siamese,  according  to  the  travelling  notes  of  M.  Henry 
Mouhot,  a  French  naturalist,  are  easily  recognized  by  their 
effeminate  and  idle  appearance,  and  by  their  servile  physiognomy. 
Nearly  all  have  rather  a  flat  nose,  prominent  cheek-bones,  a  dull 
unintelligent  eye,  broad  nostrils,  a  wide  mouth,  lips  reddened 
by  their  habit  of  chewing  betel,  and  teeth  as  black  as  ebony. 
They  aU  keep  their  heads  entirely  shaved,  except  just  on  the  top, 
where  they  allow  a  tuft  to  grow.  Their  hair  is  black  and  coarse. 
The  women  wear  the  same  tuft,  but  their  hair  is  finer  and 
carefully  kept.  The  dress  of  both  men  and  women  is  by  no  means 
an  elaborate  one. 

Figs.  149,  150,  and  151  give  an  exact  idea  of  the  type  and 
mode  of  dress  of  the  Siamese.  A  piece  of  cloth,  which  they  raise 
behind,  and  the  two  ends  of  which  they  fasten  to  their  belt,  is. 


SINAIC    BRANCH.  328 

their  only  garment.     The  women  wear  besides  a  scarf  across 
their   shoulders.     Apart  from  the   delicacy   of  her  features,   a 

Siamese  girl  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  need  but  little  envy  the 
conventional  models  of  our  atatuai'y. 

The  Siamese  are  passionately  fond  of  trinkets.     Provided  they 


fjlitter,  it  matters  little  whetlier  they  are  real  or  false.  They 
cover  their  women  and  their  children  with  rings,  bracelets, 
annlets,  and  bits  of  gold  and  silver.  They  wear  them  on  their 
amis,  on  their  legs,  round  their  necks,  in  their  ears,  on  their 
bodies,  on  their  shoulders,  everywhere  they  can  place  them. 
The  king's  son  is  so  covered  with  them,  that  the  weight  of  his 
clothes  and  jewellery  is  heavier  than  that  of  his  body. 


326  THE   YELLOW    RACE. 

The  greatest  conjagal  harmoDy  seems  to  prevail  in  Siamese 
fEuuilies.  The  wife  is  not  kept  secluded  as  in  China,  but  shows 
herself  everywhere.  As  a  shadow  to  this  pictui-e,  we  must  add 
that  parents  have  a  right  to  sell  tlieii-  cliildren  as  slaves. 

The  Siamese  liave  retained  intact  all  the  superstitions  of  the 


148.— BtlBMEaE 


Hindoos  and  the  Chinese.  They  helieve  in  demons,  in  ogres,  in 
mermaids,  &c.  They  have  fiith  in  amulets,  philtres,  and  in 
soothsayers.  They  support  a  kinp,  a  court,  atiA  a  seraglio,  with 
its  numerous  progeny.  A  second  king  possesses  also  his  palace, 
his  army,  and  his  mandarins.  Between  these  two  kings  and  the 
people  intervene  twelve  different  ranks  of  princes,  several  classes 


328  THE   YELLOW   RACK 

of  miiuBterB,  five  or  six  of  mandarins,  and  an  endless  series  of 
govemora  and  lieuteuant-goTemorB,  all  equally  incapable  and 
rapacious. 

Like  all  degraded  and  servile  nations,  the  inhabitants  of  Siam 
devote  a  great  part  of  their  existence  to  games  and  amusements. 

M.  Mouhot  visited  Udeng,  the  present  capital  of  Cambodia. 
The   houses  of  this  town  are  made  of  bamboo,  sometimes  of 


ISO.— SIAMBS8 


planks.  The  longest  street  is  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
long.  The  tillers  of  the  soil  and  the  hard-working  classes,  as 
well  as  the  mandarins  and  tlie  other  employes  of  the  government, 
dwell  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town.  M.  Mouhot  met  at  every 
moment  mandai'ins  in  litters  or  in  hammocks  followed  by  a  swarm 
of  slaves  each  carr}'ing  something;  some,  a  red  or  yellow  umbrella, 
the  size  of  which  is  an  indication  of  the  rank  and  quality  of  its 
owner;  others,  boxes  of  betel.  Horsemen,  mounted  on  small 
active  horses  caparisoned  in  a  costly  manner  and  covered  with 


330 


THE   YELLOW    RACE. 


little  bells,  and  followed  by  a  pack  of  sla\ea  begi-imed  with  dust 
and  sweat,  often  took  their  turn  m  the  panorama  He  also 
noticed  some  light  carts  drawn  by  a  couple  of  small  but  swift 
oxen.      Elephants  too,  movnig  maje&ticjil]\   fonvaids  with  out- 


stretched ears  and  trunk,  and  stopped  occasionally  by  the 
numerous  processions  which  were  wending  their  way  to  the 
pagodas  to  the  sound  of  boisterous  music. 

The  town  of  Bankok,  the  capital,  was  formerly  called  Siam, 
whence  the  name  of  the  country. 


332  THE   YELLOW   RACE. 

An  absolute  sovereign,  looked  upon  as  the  incarnation  of 
Buddha,  rules  over  the  kingdom  of  Siam,  which  is  divided  into 
four  provinces ;  Siam,  Siamese  Laos,  Siamese  Cambodia,  and 
Siamese  Malacca.  At  one  time  a  tributary  of  the  Burmese 
Empire,  the  kingdom  of  Siam  recovered  its  independence  in  1759, 
and  in  1768  even  increased  its  territory  by  conquest. 

There  are  scarcely  any  manufactures  in  Siam,  but  commerce 
still  flourishes  there,  although  less  vigorously  than  formerly. 
The  Siamese  exchange  their  agricultural  produce,  their  wood, 
their  skins,  cotton,  rice,  and  preserved  fish,  with  the  Chinese, 
the  Annamites,  the  Burmese,  and  esijecially  with  the  English 
and  Dutch  possessions.  Elephant's  tusks  are  also  an  important 
article  of  barter,  and  elephant-himting  is  the  calling  of  many  of 
the  natives. 

The  country  is  rather  feilile.  It  is  an  immense  plain,  hilly 
towards  the  north,  and  intersected  by  a  river,  the  Meinam,  on  the 
banks  of  which  are  placed  its  principal  towns.  Bankok  is  situated 
on  this  river,  not  far  fronj  its  mouth  in  the  gulf  of  Siam,  and  is 
consequently  the  principal  port  of  the  whole  kingdom,  the  head- 
quarters of  its  entire  trade.  The  periodical  overflowings  of  the 
Meinam  fertilize  the  whole  of  its  basin. 

Art  and  science  are  not  entirely  neglected  in  the  kingdom  of 
Siam.  It  is  one  of  the  few  Asiatic  countries  which  possess  a 
literature  of  its  own  and  some  artistic  productions. 

Although  the  Buddliist  religion  prevails  in  Siam  and  is  the 
state  religion,  yet  diff'erent  sects  are  tolerated  there,  and  Chris- 
tianity can  reckon  two  tliousand  five  hundred  disciples. 

Fig.  154  represents  the  young  prince-royal. 

The  Stieng  savages  ai-e  subjects  of  the  king  of  Siam.  Theii* 
stature  is  a  little  above  the  average.  They  are  powerful,  their 
features  are  regular,  and  their  weU-developed  foreheads  show 
intelligence.  Their  only  clothing  is  a  long  scarf.  They  are  so 
much  attached  to  their  moimtains  and  forests,  that  when  away 
from  their  own  coimtry  they  are  frequently  seized  with  a  dan- 
gerous kind  of  home-sickness. 

These  Siamese  aliens  of  civilization  work  in  iron  and  ivors' : 
and  make  hatchets  and  swords  which  are  sought  after  by 
collectors.  Their  women  weave  and  dye  the  scarves  they  wear. 
They  cultivate  rice,  maize,  tobacco,  vegetables,  and  fruit-trees. 
They  possess  neither  priests  nor  temples,  but  they  acknowledge  the 


SINAIC    BRANCH. 


existence  of  a  Supreme  Being      The  fame  they  can  spare  from 
then:  fields  they  de^ote  to  hunting  and  fiehing     Indefatigable  in 


334  THE   YELLOW    EACE. 

the  chase,  the;  penetrate  with  extraordinary  rapidity  the  densest 
jangles.  The  women  appear  to  he  as  active  and  aa  untiring  as 
the  men.  They  use  powerful  cross-bows  with  poisoned  arrows  to 
shoot  the  elephant,  the  rhinoceros,  and  the  tiger.  They  are  fond 
of  adorning  themselves  with  imitation  pearls  of  a  bright  colour, 
which  they  make  into  bracelets.  Both  sexes  pierce  their  ears, 
and  widen  the  hole  every  year  by  inserting  in  it  pieces  of  bone 
and  ivory. 


THE  BEOWN  RACE. 


With  M.  d'Omalius  d'Halloy  we  class  in  the  Brown  Race  a. 
great  variety  of  peoples  who  have  nothing  in  common  but  a 
complexion  darker  than  that  of  the  White  and  Yellow  races,  and 
whom  we  are  led  to  believe  the  product  of  the  mixture  of  these 
two  with  the  Black  Race.  This  theory  accounts  for  one  portion 
of  the  Brown  Race  possessing  White  characteristics,  while  the 
other  has  a  gi-eater  resemblance  to  the  Yellow  Race. 

The  Brown  Race  forms  three  branches  or  geographical  groups, 
viz. — 

1.  The  Hindoo  branch. 

2.  The  Ethiopian  branch. 
8.  The  Malay  branch. 

We  will  proceed  to  describe  the  principal  peoples  belonging  to 
these  tliree  branches. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HINDOO   BRA.NCH. 

The  peoples  composing  the  Hindoo  branch  have  been 
frequently  classed  in  the  White  Bace.  In  fact,  their,  shape,  their 
language,  and  their  institutions  partly  correspond  to  those  of 
Europeans  and  Persians,  but  their  darker  and  sometimes  black 
skins  distinguish  them  from  either. 

The  civilization  of  the  Hindoos  was,  in  the  earliest  historic 
times,  already  far  advanced  ;  but  for  many  centuries  it  has 
remained  stationary,  or  has  gone  backwards. 

Most  Hindoos  practise  the  creed  of  Brahma,  a  religion  aprung 
up  in  their  own  land.  A  few  have  embraced  Mahometanism, 
others  have  become  Buddhists. 

The  most  striking  feature  of  Hindoo  society  is  its  division  into 
castes.  These  castes,  originating  ages  and  ages  ago,  have  always 
been  the  principal  obstacles  to  the  development  of  civilization. 
How  can  progress,  talent,  or  remarkable  works  be  expected  from 
men  whom  society  forbids  ever  to  emerge  from  the  conditions  of 
their  birth  ? 

These  castes  are  four  in  number.  The  Brahmin  caste,  whose 
members  are  devoted  to  the  practice  of  religious  rites,  to  the 
study  of  the  law,  and  to  teaching.  The  Rajpoots  or  Cshatriyas, 
who  are  professional  soldiers.  The  Banians,  who  are  agricul- 
turists, cattle  breeders,  and  traders.  Lastly,  the  Sudras,  who 
follow  various  callings,  and  who  are  subdivided  into  many  sub- 
castes  corresponding  to  as  many  different  handicrafts. 

Each  caste  has  its  peculiar  religious  observances.  Its  mem- 
bers cannot  intermarry  with  those  of  other  castes,  and  must 
always  follow  the  profession  in  which  destiny  has  placed  theii- 
parents. 

The  descendants  of  those,  who,  by  improper  marriages   or 


HINDOO    BRANCH.  337 

otherwise,  have  forfeited  their  caste,  form  an  inferior  caste,  known 
under  the  name  of  Varna-Sancdra.     Finally  below  even  this  last 


division  come  tlic  Pariahs,  beings  cursed  by  destiny,  who  exist 
in  the  most  deplorable  state  of  moral  abjection. 

The  Hindoos  are  well  made,  but  tiieir  limbs  are   far  from 


THE    BIIO^VN    RACE. 


robust.    They  have  em&ll  hands  and  feet,  a  high  forehead,  black 


HINDOO    BRANCH.  339 

eyes,  well  arched  eyebrows,  fine  bright  black  hair,  and  a  more 
or  less  brown  skin,  which,  in  the  south  of  India,  and  particularly 
among  the  lowest  classes,  is  sometimes  black.  Ethnologically 
speaking,  there  are  two  families  in  the  Hindoo  branch : — the 
Hindoo  family,  and  the  Malabar  family. 

Hindoo  FAsoLy. 

The    HiTidoo    family    constitutes    the    greater    part    of   the 
population  of  northern  Hindostan.     The  dialects  spoken  in  this 


country  have  generally  some  relation  to  Sanskrit.  The  colour  of 
the  skin,  in  the  higher  classes,  is  fair  enough,  but  becomes  darker 
among  the  lower  castes. 


340  THE   BROWN    RACK 

Among  the  people  belonging  to  the  Hindoo  family  we  may 
name  the  Sikhs,  a  warlike  people,  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of 
their  oval  countenances ;  the  Jats,  the  Bajpoots,  and  the  Mah- 
rattas ;  the  Bengalese,  a  peaceful  people,  devoted  to  trade,  and 
the  Cingalese,  or  inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Ceylon. 

An  accomplished  traveller,  M.  Alfred  Grandidier,  has  published 
in  the  "  Tour  du  Monde,"  in  1869,  the  account  of  a  "  Voyage  dans 
rinde."  We  learn  from  him  a  few  general  facts  that  perfectly 
sum  up  the  social  condition  of  the  India  of  to-day,  especially  that 
of  the  central  portion  of  the  peninsula,  for  it  would  perhaps  be 
diflScult  to  generalize  on  the- manners  and  customs  of  the  whole 
of  India,  of  which  the  population  amounts  to  more  than  a 
hundred  and  eighty  millions,  and  the  superficies  to  that  of  the 
whole  of  continental  Europe  with  the  exception  of  Russia. 

India  is,  in  fact,  divided  into  three  distinct  basins ;  that  of  the 
Indus,  that  of  the  Ganges,  and  the  i^lain  of  the  Deccan,  con- 
stituting Central  India.  Tliis  last  is  classic  India,  that  is  to  say, 
the  only  part  of  the  country  thoroughly  known  to  Europeans.  M. 
Grandidier' s  travels  were  in  the  Deccan,  to  which  refer  the 
remarks  we  are  about  to  quote  : — 

'*  The  Hindoos  of  the  Deccan,"  says  M.  Grandidier,  '*  resemble 
the  Ar^'an  (Caucasian)  race  in  the  oval  shape  of  their  head,  in  the 
formation  of  their  cranium,  and  in  their  facial  angle.  Tliey  are 
distinct  from  it,  however,  in  colour.  Theii'  bodies  are  frail ;  the 
low  caste  native  is  thin  and  slight,  but  makes  up  for  his  lack 
of  strength  by  his  activity  and  lightness.  His  skin  varies  from  a 
light  copper  colour  to  a  dark  brown;  his  hair  is  a  fine  glossy 
black,  and  grows  i^lentifully  on  his  face. 

**  Gentle  and  timid,  the  Hindoo  is  wanting  in  perseverance 
and  firmness;  gifted  with  a  rapid  comprehension,  he  is  yet  in- 
capable of  any  sustained  efibrt.  A  double  yoke,  from  time 
immemorial,  has  weighed  him  down ;  caste  distinctions  and  a 
foreign  sway  have  made  him  a  flexible  creatmre,  possessing  more 
prudence  and  cunning  than  energy  and  uprightness ;  more  keenness 
of  wit  than  nobility  of  soul. 

**  A  lively  imagination,  never  subdued  by  a  rational  education, 
has  brought  him  under  the  influence  of  the  gross  superstitions 
sanctioned  by  the  Hindoo  religion,  with  its  train  of  ignoble 
divinities.  The  timidity  of  his  character  has  preserved  him  from 
the  violent  fanaticism  of  the  Mussulman,  but  his  religion  is  very 


HINDOO  branch: 


dear  to  him,  and  the  belief  of  the  lower  classes  is  at  least  a  sincere 

one. 


34^  THE   BROWN   RACE. 

"  Sivaism,  to  which  belong  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Dec- 
can,  is  so  priceless  in  their  eyes,  that  they  value  it  far  beyond  their 
lives.  They  repose  an  ardent  and  lively  faith  in  the  most  absurd 
doctrines.  This  form  of  religion  pleases  their  imagination  by  its 
fantastic  dreams  and  by  its  poetic  materialism,  and  its  ceremonies 
amuse  them,  while  gratifying  their  passions. 

**  The  paucity  of  their  wants  tends  to  render  them  improvident, 
and  their  lively  and  childish  imagination,  feeding  on  the  smallest 
and  vaguest  facts,  which  they  poetise  and  exaggerate  in  their  own 
manner^  developes  in  them  a  dreamy  and  indolent  mode  of  life.  . 

"  Their  doctrine  of  metempsychosis  still  further  increases  the 
natural  tendency  of  their  mind,  and  helps  to  cause  their  almost 
incredible  mental  inaction,  which  nothing  can  surprise  or  stimu- 
late. The  only  lever  that  can  move  the  masses  must  be  one 
attacking  their  religious  faith. 

"  The  dress  of  the  Hindoos  is  the  dhoti,  a  long  scarf  of  cloth 
rolled  round  the  figure,  passing  under  the  legs  and  fastened  be- 
hind the  back.  This  garment  leaves  the  legs  and  the  upper  part  of 
the  body  imcovered.  The  upper  classes  w^ear  a  short  sliirt 
(angaskah)  and  a  long  white  robe  (jamah).  Their  head  is  always 
covered  with  a  turban,  of  different  size  and  colour,  according  to 
their  caste.  Few  Hindoos  wear  shoes,  sandals  being  in  almost 
universal  use.  The  women  weai*  the  choli,  a  little  jacket  with 
short  sleeves,  just  covering  the  bosom,  which  it  supports,  and  tlie 
sari,  a  large  piece  of  cloth  which  they  fold  around  them,  and 
threw  coquettishly  over  the  shoulder  or  the  head.  Tliis  graceful 
draper}'  recalls  the  chlarayde  worn  by  the  Diana  of  Gabies. 

"This  dress  of  the  Hindoos  is,  as  a  rule,  tasteful,  and  suited  to 
the  climate  and  to  their  mode  of  life.  Although  each  caste,  each 
sect,  has  its  own  pai'ticular  method  of  wearing  it,  it  is  still,  all  over 
India,  the  most  uniform  and  the  most  characteristic  feature  of  tlie 
2)opulation. 

"Both  sexes  are  passionately  fond  of  jewellery ;  womenof  the  very 
poorest  class  often  wear  gold  rings  set  with  pearls  in  theii'  noses. 
Their  arms  are  covered  with  silver,  copper,  and  glass  bracelets. 
The  large  toes  of  their  feet  are  adorned  with  rings,  and  tlieii*  legs 
with  heavy  metal  bangles.  As  for  their  ears,  they  literally  droop 
beneath  the  weight  of  the  golden  earrings  with  which  they  are 
laden;  and  their  lobes  are  pierced  with  large  holes,  often  nearly  an 
inch  in  diameter,  into  which  are  introduced  gold  ornaments  in 


HIBDOO  BRANCH.  34S 

tlie  shape  of  small  wheels,  replaced  on  working  days  by  pieces 
of  rolled  leaves.     This  custom  has  actually  reached  Polynesia. 

"Hindoos  turn  all  their  little  capital  into  jewellery.     This 
habit  springs  from  a  medley  of  vanity  and  superstition,  the  latter 


leading  them  to  consider  trinkets  as  talismans  against  spells  and 
witchcraft. 

"  It  was  also,  under  the  ancient  Mogul  dynasty,  a  means  of 
preserving  their  property  from  the  rapacity  of  Mussulman 
tyrants,  whose  religion  forbade  them  to  appropriate  women's 
chattels. 


344  THE   BROWN    KACE. 

"  The  Hindoos  are  very  tenacious  of  their  prerogatives,  and 
India  has  frequently  been  convulsed  by  sanguinary  struggles 
occasioned  by  some  one  of  its  castes  refusing  to  conform  to 
traditional  custom.  Terrible  conflicts  have,  ere  now,  been 
caused  by  an  inferior  caste  attempting  to  wear  slippers  of  a  certain 
shape,  the  privilege  of  a  higher  one,  or  because  it  wished  to  use, 
in  its  religious  rites,  certain  musical  instruments  hitherto 
reserved  for  the  worship  of  the  superior  divinities. 

"The  Hindoos  may  lay  claim  to  a  refined  politeness  and 
elegant  manners ;  but  the  smallest  concession  in  the  respect  to 
which  their  social  position  entitles  them,  the  least  relaxation  in 
the  prescribed  etiquette  are  considered  a  sign  of  weakness  and  an 
avowal  of  inferiority. 

"  The  conversational  formulae  used  towards  a  native  Yory 
according  to  his  station.  Nothing  is  easier  than  to  affi'ont  theii* 
susceptibility.  Never  speak  to  an  Oriental  of  his  wife  or  of  liis 
daughters.  To  do  so,  is  contrary  to  custom.  To  use  the  left 
hand  in  bowing,  in  eating,  or  in  drinking,  is  to  ofier  an  insult;  the 
right  hand  alone  is  reserved  for  the  higher  uses,  and  the  left,  the 
ignoble  hand,  is  used  for  ablutions. 

**  In  Europe,  it  is  a  sign  of  respect  to  uncover  the  head,  in  the 
East,  to  take  oif  the  turban  is  a  disrespectful  act.  On  entering  a 
house,  conversely  to  us,  they  keep  their  heads  covered,  but  leave 
their  shoes  at  the  threshold.  This  habit  seems  to  me  a  most 
sensible  one.  A  white  cloth  is  stretched  on  the  floor  of  their 
apartments,  on  cushions  placed  on  which  they  sit  cross-legged. 
It  appears  to  me  that  shoes  were  invented  to  preserve  the  feet 
from  the  roughness  of  the  ground,  from  the  mud  and  from  the 
dust  of  the  roads.  Are  they  not  then  objectionable,  or,  at  any 
rate,  useless  in  the  interior  of  a  well-kept  house  ? 

"  When  paying  a  visit,  the  Hindoo  waits  imtil  his  host  bids 
him  adieu.  They  very  properly  suppose  that  a  visitor  can  be  in 
no  hurry  to  leave  the  friend  whom  he  has  purposely  come  to  see. 
The  host,  on  the  contrary,  may  have  urgent  business  claiming  his 
immediate  attention.  The  forms  of  this  dismissal  vary  : — '  Come 
and  see  me  often,*  or  'Remember  that  you  will  always  be  welcome.* 
Presents  of  flowers  and  fruit  generally  terminate  these  visits,  and 
betel  is  invariably  handed  round. 

"  The  usual  food  of  the  Hindoo  is  very  simple,  and  their  meals 
are  of  but  short  duration.     Rice  boiled  in  water,  and  curry  (a 


HINDOO  BRANCH. 


MB 


compound  of  vegetaUeB,  ghee — a  sort  of  clarified  batter,  Bpu»>» 
and  Bafion),  sometimes  e^s  or  milk,  a  little  fish,  and  occasionally 
coarse  meal  cakes,  bananas,  and  the  fruit  of  the  bread  tree,  fonn 
the  morning  and  evening  meal  of  rich  and  poor.  The  leaves  <ii 
the  banana  tree  are  used  instead  of  plates  and  dishes.     In  eating 


161.— NADTCR  OIIEL  or  BABODA. 


Tegetables  and  rice,  fingers  are  nsed  instead  of  spoons  and  forks; 
and  the  meat  is  torn  by  the  teeth  in  defiault  of  the  absent  knife* 
An  European  is  rather  likely  to  be  disgusted  with  the  sauoe 
trickling  down  the  chins  and  the  fingers  of  the  guests  at  a  Hindoo 
meal.  Water  is  the  prevailing  drink,  and  but  little  use  is  made 
of  arrack  (a  spirit  extracted  from  the  palm  tree). 

"  Faithful  observers  of  their  religious  iigunctions,  vhich  fbrbid 
Uiem  to  tooch  t^niimtj  fbod  under  pain  of  being  mfilndfld  frtnn 


ZiQ  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

society  and  from  the  bosom  of  their  families,  the  high  caste 
natives  never  eat  meat ;  as  for  the  Pariahs,  they  eat  all  kinds  of 
animals,  and  are  very  fond  of  arrack. 

"  Betel  is  incessantly  used  all  over  India.  In  hot  countries, 
where  the  inhabitants  lead  a  sedentary  life,  their  digestion  becomes 
sluggish,  and  can  neither  receive  nor  absorb  the  same  quantity  of 
nourishment  as  it  does  in  Northern  countries.  The  vegetable 
diet  of  the  Hindoos  is  not  very  rich  in  azotic  matter,  and  its 
continual  use  would  cause  an  internal  formation  of  gas,  without 
the  alkaline  stimulant  used  by  all  the  inhabitants  of  India  to 
prevent  its  development.  This  stimulant  is  the  astringent  areca 
nut,  which  they  chew  with  a  little  lime  placed  on  a  betel  leaf. 

"  This  mixture  dyes  the  lips  and  the  tongue  red ;  it  is 
pernicious  in  its  effect  on  the  teeth,  but  it  is  certainly  useftd  to 
the  digestive  functions. 

"  Tobacco,  rolled  in  a  green  leaf  and  lighted  like  a  cigarette,  is 
the  universal  method  of  smoking. 

**  Many  different  languages  are  spoken  in  India.  Philologists 
have  enumerated  as  many  as  fiftj^-eight,  but  not  more  than  ten 
have  an  alphabet  and  literature  of  their  own.  Sanskrit,  a  dead 
language,  is  more  or  less  mixed  with  all  the  dialects  of  India.  In 
the  north  it  forms  their  incontestable  basis,  but  in  the  south  it  is 
merely  grafted  on  to  pre-existing  tongues,  and  frequently  but  faint 
traces  are  foimd  of  it.  All  the  alphabets  seem  to  have  been 
invented  separately,  but  they  have  been  improved  by  the  regular  and 
philosophical  an-angement  of  the  DcvanagrL  This  is  the  name 
of  the  Sanskrit  alphabet,  the  most  perfect  of  all.  The  living 
languages  have  a  very  simple  gi'ammatical  construction. 

**  Hindostani,  which  is  spoken  in  the  province  of  Agra,  is  the 
most  cultivated  and  the  most  generally  employed  of  all  Indian 
languages.  It  has  received  a  large  Persian  element  since  the 
Mussulman  conquest.  Besides  the  local  dialect  of  each  district, 
Hindostani  is  everywhere  spoken  by  the  educated  classes,  and  by 
all  professing  the  Mussulman  faith. 

"  The  ties  of  caste  replace  in  India  the  ties  of  family.  Hindoos 
love  their  wives  and  children ;  but  tliis  affection  is  subordinated 
to  their  caste  duties.  Expulsion  from  the  family  is  principally 
caused  by  violation  of  reUgious  ordinances  or  by  the  illicit  con- 
nection of  high  caste  women  with  men  of  a  lower  rank.  The 
Brahmins  and  the  Sudras,  and  even  the  Pariahs  themselves,  are 


HINIX)0    BRANCH.  347 

divided  into  a  number  of  sub-castes,  a  member  of  one  of  wliich 


i-r 


162.— A  coouE  OP  Tint  c 


can  neither  eat,  drink,  nor  intermarry  with  one  of  another.     If  a 
Hindoo  becomes  degraded,  if  he  loses  his  caste,  he  is  disowned 


348  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

by  his  relations;  his  wife  is  considered  a  widow,  his  children 
orphans ;  he  must  expect  no  assistance,  no  pity,  from  those  who 
hitherto  have  surrounded  him  with  the  most  considerate  care. 

"Europeans  are  ranked  with  Pariahs  on  account  of  their  daily 
habit  of  eating  beef.  It  is  true  that  the  Brahmins  consent  to 
shake  hands  with  an  European,  but  on  their  return  home  after 
doing  so,  their  first  care  is  to  undress  and  perform  their  ablutions 
so  as  to  purify  themselves  from  the  stain  of  such  an  impure 
contact ;  it  is  even  asserted  by  them  that  the  mere  gaze  of  a 
Pariah  is  enough  to  cause  contamination. 

*'  Every  village  in  the  Deccan  is  composed  of  two  parts,  sepa- 
rated by  an  interv^al  of  a  few  yards.  These  ai'e  two  distinct 
quarters,  one  reserved  for  the  men  of  caste,  the  other,  surrounded 
by  hedges,  allotted  to  the  Pariahs.  These  miserable  beings  ai-e 
not  allowed  to  enter  the  streets  of  the  village  without  the  consent 
of  the  inhabitants,  and  they  must  only  presume  to  draw  water  in 
the  wells  set  aside  for  their  particular  use.  Where  the  Pariahs 
have  no  special  wells,  they  place  then*  chatties  by  the  well-sides 
of  the  men  of  caste,  and  await  humbly  and  patiently  the  alms 
ofiering  of  a  few  glasses  of  water.  It  is  always  the  women  that 
attend  to  this  household  care. 

**  The  higher  castes  often  make  the  Paiiahs  presents,  which 
they  invariably  place  on  the  gi'ound,  for  fear  of  contracting  by 
mere  physical  contact  the  moral  leprosy  with  which  in  their  eyes 
the  Pariahs  ai-e  aflfected.  A  person  of  caste  never  accepts  a  gift 
from  the  hands  of  a  Pariah. 

"If  on  the  one  hand  the  high^caste  natives  are  physically  and 
intellectually  superior  to  the  Pariahs ;  on  the  other  hand  the 
latter  are  more  laborious,  more  docile,  and  more  accessible  to 
European  influence.  In  the  Presidency  of  Madras  they  consti- 
tute the  best  and  the  most  sohd  nucleus  of  the  native  English 
army. 

"  If  I  wished  to  enumerate  all  the  subdivisions  of  caste  based 
on  the  conduct,  the  calling,  and  the  occupation  of  every  one,  if  I 
described  in  detail  the  clothes  and  the  ornaments  which  vary 
ad  infinitum  according  to  caste,  if  I  attempted  to  recite  all  the 
existing  prejudices  about  food  and  the  daily  minutiae  of  life,  I 
should  fill  several  volumes. 

"  The  same  tendencies  are  met  with  everywhere.  The  desire 
of  making  a  figure  in  the  world,  and  the  ambition  for  command 


HINDOO  BRANCH. 


without  having  taken  the  necessary  trouble  to  become  worthy  of 
it.  Yet  the  existence  of  caste  has  always  prevented  the  forma- 
tion of  a  really  homogeneous  nation.  Caste  is '  the  cause  of  the 
sharp  rivalries,  the  endless  hostilities,  that  have  always   been 


fatal  to  national  independence,  andj  facilitated  the  invasions  of 
strangers. 

"  Besides  the  social  consequences  we  have  mentioned,  the 
Hindoos  believe  in  religions  ones.  Their  different  castes  cannot 
here  below  receive  the  same  education,  nor  be^initiated  into  the 


860  THE   BEOWN    RACE. 

game  mysteries.     These  differences,  according  to  the  dogmas  of 
Siva,  are  to  extend  into  the  next  world." 

The  preceding  paragraphs  refer  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Deccan.  It  would  be  too  tedious  to  describe  the  other  popula- 
tions of  the  peninsula/the  Bengalese,  the  Bajpoots,  the  Mahrattas, 
&c.  We  will  merely  say  a  few  words  about  the  Cingalese,  or 
inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Ceylon. 

The  Cingalese  are  entirely  Indian  in  figure,  in  language,  in 
manners,  in  customs,  in  religion  and  in  their  government.  Their 
features  are  not  widely  different  from  those  of  Europeans,  but 
they  differ  from  them  in  their  colour,  in  their  height,  and  in  the 
proportions  of  their  bodies.  The  hue  of  their  skin  varies  from 
light  brown  to  black.  Black  is  the  usual  colour  for  their  eyes 
and  hair.  They  are  shorter  than  Europeans,  but  well  made,  with 
well  defined  muscles.  Their  chests  and  their  shoulders  are 
broad,  their  hands  and  feet  small.  Their  hair  grows  in  large 
quantity  and  to  great  length,  but  they  have  little  on  their  faces. 
Their  women  are,  as  a  rule,  well  made. 

The  attractions  which  a  lady  ought  to  combine  in  order  to  be  a 
perfect  beauty  are,  according  to  a  Kandian  fop,  as  follow :  her 
hair  should  be  as  bushy  as  the  tail  of  a  peacock,  long  enough  to 
reach  the  knees,  and  gracefully  curled  at  the  ends ;  her  eyebrows 
arched  as  the  rainbow,  eyes  blue  as  sapphires,  and  her  nose  like 
a  hawk's  beak ;  her  lips  must  vie  with  coral  in  redness  and  lusti'e, 
and  small,  even,  and  closely-set  teeth,  resembling  jessamine  buds, 
should  complete  the  picture. 

Ceylon,  as  everybody  knows,  is  indebted  for  its  great  prosperity' 
to  its  coffee  plantations,  a  large  trade  being  earned  on  between 
the  English  and  its  inhabitants,  who  enjoy  a  well-earned  reputa- 
tion as  cultivators  of  that  shrub. 

"  The  Kandians,"  says  M.  Alfred  Grandidier,  "  possess  more 
robust  constitutions,  less  feeble  limbs,  and  features  not  so  effemi- 
nate as  their  countrjTnen  of  the  coast ;  their  lusty  shoulders,  broad 
chests,  and  short  but  muscular  legs,  are  a  proof  of  the  effect  which 
climate  can  produce  on  the  development  of  the  human  frame. 

"  The  habits  of  the  mountaineers  have  imdergone  scarcely 
any  change  in  consequence  of  the  foreign  influences  which  have 
impressed  a  complex  character  upon  the  manners  of  the  people 
nearer  the  sea.  Their  primitive  customs,  originated  by  the 
imperious  necessities  of  life,  are  still  found  in  existence  among 


HINDOO   BRANCH.  351 

them ;  and  they  have  none  of  the  timidity  and  servility  which  are 
the  attriljutes  of  the  dwellers  in  the  maritime  districts.  The 
feudal  state  in  which  they  have  long  lived  has  preserved  in  them 
an  energy  and  independence  rare  among  Indian  populations. 
The  configuration  of  the  country  enabled  them,  in  fact,  to  retain 
their  fi'eedom  more  easily  than  theii*  brethren  of  the  northern 
plains,  either  when  aggression  came  from  their  own  ruler  or  from 
foreign  inti*uders ;  but,  nevertheless,  that  indolence  still  prevails 
among  them  which  comes  naturally  to  every  people  who  are  not 
obliged  to  contend  against  any  material  obstacle  in  order  to 
supply  themselves  with  the  necessities  of  life.  The  t}Tanny  of 
their  masters,  whether  chiefs  or  kings,  has  unhappily  accustomed 
them  to  h}7)ocrisy,  and  made  them  \indictive. 

"  Whilst  the  Cingalese  of  the  coast  liave  applied  themselves  to 
trade  and  industry,  those  of  the  high  regions  always  show  re- 
pugnance to  such  occupations.  They  have  invariably  shimned 
any  connection  with  foreigners ;  and  so  great,  even  at  the  present 
day,  is  their  desii'e  to  withdraw  as  much  as  possible  from  asso- 
ciation with  the  English  settlers,  that  they  conceal  their  villages 
m  the  middle  of  the  jungle,  and  at  a  distance  of  some  hundreds 
of  yards  from  the  least  frequented  paths.  A  rice-field  in  the 
midst  of  forests,  or  a  glimpse  of  the  tall  tops  of  cocoa-trees,  alone 
indicate  tlie  presence  of  human  beings  in  places  that  would  other- 
wise be  thought  uninhabited.  In  countries  like  these,  where 
natm*e  has  accumulated  so  many  of  lier  treasures,  the  relations 
of  man  with  man,  which  assuredly  conduce  to  the  happiness  of 
all,  are  not  indispensable  ;  and  the  natives  love  a  solitude,  where 
they  enjoy  benefits  of  every  land  in  profusion. 

^'  The  Cingalese  of  the  hills  have  a  traditional  respect  for  their 
chiefs,  and  a  deep  attachment  to  ancient  usages.  Their  costume 
difi'ers  fi'om  that  of  the  inliabitants  of  tlie  plains,  insomuch  that 
they  do  not  habitually  wear  the  vest,  this  garment  being,  in  fact, 
exclusively  reserv^ed  for  their  nobles,  who  assume  it  on  grand 
occasions  ;  their  hair  is  allowed  to  grow  to  its  full  length,  and  is 
not  confined  by  a  comb.  Sumptuary  laws  and  religious  injimc- 
tions  settle  in  other  respects  the  clothing  suitable  to  each  class, 
the  greater  part  of  these  laws  being,  to  the  present  day,  still  in 
force  among  the  Kandians,  in  spite  of  the  abolition  of  castes  which 
has  been  decreed  by  the  English  administration. 

"  The  length  of  the  frock-like  petticoats  worn  by  men  and 


36S  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

women  both  in  the  high  and  low  lands,  and  which  seem  to  be  the 
p&rt  of  the  national  costume  to  which  the  greatest  importance  is 
attached,  was  formerly  proportioned  according  to  the  social 
position  of  the  individual. 

"  The  pariahs  were  not  permitted  to  let  this  skirt  come  lower 
than  the  knee,  and  males  and  females  of  inferior  caste  had  the 
breast  uticovered.  Among  the  chiefs  themselves  a  difference 
existed,  and  still  exists,  as  to  the  method  of  wearing  the  comhoy. 


After  rolling  it  twice  or  three  times  round  the  hips  nnd  legs,  they 
form  with  it  round  the  waist  a  more  or  less  bulky  girdle,  the 
dimensions  of  wliich  depend  upon  their  rank.  The  nobles  are 
also  distinguished  from  the  lower  orders  by  their  extraordinary 
headgear,  consisting  of  a  sort  of  round,  flat,  wliite  linen  cap, 
like  that  worn' by  tlie  Basque  peasantry,  while  the  lower  classes 
merely  surround  the  head  with  a  silk  handkerchief,  leaving  none 
of  it  bare  except  the  top.  The  king  alone  possessed  the  privilege 
of  wearing  sandals.    Prohibitions,  such  as  one  against  wearing 


HINDOO  BRANCH.  353 

gold  and  silver  chains  or  ornaments,  are  still  scrupulously 
observed  by  the  Kandians,  who  strenuously  resist  any  encroach- 
ments of  the  inferior  castes." 

M.  GuiUaume  Lejean  has  published  some  interesting  parti- 
culars of  his  travels  in  Cashmere  and  the  Punjaub.  It  is  not  om* 
intention  to  foUow  the  learned  wanderer  in  his  rapid  journeys 
across  Hindostan,  but  we  should  like  to  draw  attention  to  a  novel 
oi^inion  which  has  been  expressed  by  him  as  to  the  ethnology  of 
the  Indian  population. 

]\I.  Lejean  believes  that  he  has  re-discovered  in  Hindostan  the 
Aryans,  that  is  to  say,  the  primitive  people  from  whom  the  Aryan 
or  Caucasian  race  is  descended.  The  features  of  these  peoples, 
our  own  genuine  ancestors,  are  regular  and  of  an  European  type. 
Their  comj^lexion  is  not  browner  than  that  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Provence,  Sicily,  or  Southern  Spain.  This  statement  does  not 
ai)ply  to  the  lower  castes,  whose  skin  grows  darker  and  darker, 
until  it  reaches  the  soot}'  tint  of  the  Nubian.  The  country  people 
have  long  and  slightly  wavy  hair,  blacker  and  more  brilliant 
than  jet.  Though  not  effeminate  in  appearance,  the  race  is  de- 
ficient in  muscular  vigour,  an  effect  attributed  by  the  traveller  to 
the  torrid  heat  of  the  climate.  The  women  are  generally  of 
middle  height,  with  pleasing  but  expressionless  countenances  of 
little  originality ;  their  eyes  are  large,  black,  and  submissive,  and 
their  hands  delicatelv  beautiful. 

In  the  opinion  of  M.  Lejean,  the  fine,  symmetrical  heads, 
small,  well-foimed  hands,  and  regular  features  of  the  natives 
of  Scinde,  remind  one  completely  of  the  white  European  race, 
and  allow  us  to  identify  the  inliabitants  of  that  part  of  Asia 
with  the  ancient  Ar}'ans,  who  were  the  colonizers  of  primitive 
Europe,  and  who  springing,  as  is  said,  from  the  regions  of  Persia, 
spread  themselves  over  our  o^vn  continent  and  that  of  Asia. 

This  is  an  opportime  moment  for  alluding  to  a  race,  sprung 
seemingly  from  Hindoos  of  the  lower  classes,  which  had  pro- 
bably abandoned  its  own  land,  and  from  which  those  detached 
groups  that  traverse  the  entii'e  globe,  without  ever  fixing  them- 
selves anpvhere,  or  ever  losing  their  peculiar  characteristics, 
derive  their  origin.  Under  this  category  come  the  wandering 
tribes,  commonly  known  in  different  languages,  as  Gipsies, 
Bohemians,  Zingari,  Gitanos,  &c.,  who  wander  over  countries 
either  as  beggars  or  in  pursuit  of  the  lowest  callings.     These 

A  A 


364  THE   BROWN    RACK 

Gipsies  and.  Bohemians,  who  are  especially  numerous  in  the 
South  of  France,  and  enjoy  a  considerable  repute  as  horse- 
clippers  and  tinkers,  who  are  invariably  vagrants,  and  now  and 
then  thieves,  appear  to  be  descended  from  low-caste  Hindoos. 
They  are  travelling  Pariahs.  Such,  at  least,  is  the  opinion  enter- 
tained by  some  modem  ethnologists. 

Malabar  Family. 

The  Malabar  Family  inhabiting  the  Deccan  differs  in  many 
respects  from  the  Hindoo,  and  the  peoples  included  in  it  are  very 
dark  and  sometimes  black  in  complexion.  This  branch  is 
divided  into  three  piincipal  di^dsions  :  the  Malahars  proper,  who 
dwell  in  the  country  of  that  name ;  the  Taviyls,  in  the  Camatic ; 
and  the  Telingas,  in  the  north-east.  Neither  the  language  nor 
the  customs  of  the  tribes  composing  this  group,  exhibit  pecu- 
liarities sufficiently  important  to  induce  us  to  stop  to  describe 
them. 


CHAPTER  II. 


ETHIOPIAN    BRANCH. 


The  Afncan  jiopulutioiis  wliich  we  class  with  the  Browu  Race 
have  a  i-esemblaiice  in  the  fonnation  of  the  body  to  those  of  the 
Wtite  Race,  but  their  skin  is  darlier  in  colour,  being  iiitenuediate 
between  that  of  the  Negro  and  that  of  tlie  Wliite.  The  natives 
constituting  this  branch 
have  never  Attained  to  any 
appreciable  degi'ee  of  civi- 
Uzation,  au<l  thei-e  is  a 
complete  void  of  positive 
notions  as  to  their  origin 
or  migi-ations,  wliile  even 
the  different  languages  in 
use  among  them,  are  partly 
unl£no\v'n  to  us.  We  shall 
distinguish  in  the  Etliio- 
pian  branch,  two  great 
families,  the  Ahi/ssinuiii 
and  the  Fcllan. 

Abyssinian  Family. 

That  portion  of  Eastern 
Africa    whicli     bears     the  iCi.— abvssinias. 

name  of  .\byssinia,  con- 
tains several  tribes,  speaking  different  languages.  These  tribes 
are  ranked  by  many  ethnologists  as  belonging  to  the  White  Race, 
and  their  complexion,  though  darker  invariably  than  that  of  the 
European,  is  fairer  than  that  of  the  negro.  Their  hair,  which  is 
generally  frizzled,  their  lips  usually  thick,  and  their  nose  less  flat 


ass  THE   BBOWN    RACE. 

than  that  of  the  Negro,  are  so  many  characteristics  which  assign 


to  them  a  plnce  intervening  between  the  Black  and  the  "WTiite 
races.     These  tribes   doubtless  spring  iirom   a  union  of  black 


ETHIOPIAN   BRANCH.  357 

inhabitants,  aborigines  of  the  country,  with  the  Orientals  who 
conquered  them. 

We  shall  instance  among  the  principal  groups  belonging  to  this 
family,  the  Ahyssinians,  the  Barabras,  the  T'lbhous,  and  the 
Gallas,  about  any  of  whom,  with  the  exception  of  the  first  named, 
little  is  as  j^et  known. 

Ahyssinians, — Most  authors  place  this  people  in  the  White 
Race  and  the  Semitic  family.  There  is,  in  fact,  reason  to  believe 
that  Abyssinia  was  many  times  overrim,  and  perhaps  civilized,  by 
the  nations  of  Western  Asia  ;  but  the  colour  of  their  skin,  which 
is  very  much  darker  than  that  of  the  Ai'ameans,  is  a  proof  that 
the  conquerors  intermamed  with  the  conquered,  and  that  from 
this  imion  the  present  Abyssinian  race  has  sprung. 

According  to  Dr.  Eiq^pel,  there  are  two  predominant  types 
existing  among  the  people  of  this  country,  the  more  widely  spread 
approacliing  to  that  of  the  Arabs,  while  the  second  approximates 
closely  to  the  Xegi'o. 

The  Abyssiiiians  fonning  the  first  group,  are  finely  formed, 
showing  resemblance  to  the  Bedouins  in  feature  and  expression 
of  countenance.  Their  peculiar  characteristics  are,  an  oval  face, 
a  long,  thin,  finely  cut  nose,  a  well  proportioned  mouth  with  lips 
of  moderate  thickness,  lively  eyes,  regular  teeth,  slightly  crisp  or 
smooth  hair,  and  a  middle  stature.  Most  of  the  people  dwelling 
on  the  high  mountains  of  Samen,  and  the  plains  sun-ounding 
Lake  Tzana,  belong  to  this  branch,  which  also  includes  the 
FalceshaSy  or  Jews,  the  Garnants,  who  are  idolators,  and  the 
Af/ows. 

The  second  type  is  chiefly  distinguishable  by  a  shorter  and 
broader  nose,  slightly  flattened  ;  thick  lips ;  long  eyes,  with  little 
animation  in  them ;  and  very  curly  and  almost  woolly  hair,  which 
is  so  close,  that  it  stands  straight  out  from  the  head.  A  portion 
of  the  population  along  the  coast,  in  the  province  of  Hamasen 
and  other  neighbouring  districts,  belongs  to  this  second  group. 

The  results  of  Baron  Larrey's  comparison  of  the  Abyssinian 
with  the  Negro,  are,  that  the  eyes  of  the  former  are  larger  and  of 
a  more  agreeable  look,  and  have  the  inner  angle  slightly  more 
inclined.  In  the  Abyssinian  the  cheek-bones  and  the  zygomatic 
arches  are  more  prominent  than  in  the  Negro  ;  the  cheeks  form  a 
more  regular  triangle  with  the  angle  of  the  mouth  and  the  comer 


ana  the  brown  race. 

of  the  jaw ;  the  lips  are  thick  without  being  tui-ned  out  like  a. 
Negro's;  the  teeth  are  handsome,  well  set  and  lees  projecting; 
and  the  alveolar  ridges  are  not  so  prominent.     The  complexion 


of  the  Abyssinian  ia  not  so  black  as  that  of  the  Negro  in  the 
interior  of  Africa.  Baron  Larrey  adds,  that  the  features  iihioli 
he  has  described  above,  belonged  to  the  genuine  Egyptians  of 
olden  times,  and  that  they  are  to  be  found  in  the  Iieada  of 
Egyptian  statues,  and  above  all  in  that  of  the  Sphinx. 


ETHIOPIAN   BRANCH. 


Id  the  accotmt  which  he  pablished  in  1866,  <rf  his  jouin^ 
through  Abyssinia  two  years  preTioosly,  M.  OniUaimie  Lejean 


has  given  considerable  information  as  to  this  part  of  AMca  ai 
its    inhabitants,  and  the   Tictotiotu  enterprise  undertaken  1 


360  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

England  in  1866,  afforded   an   oppoi-tunity  of  establishing  the 
accuracy  of  the  French  traveller's  statements. 

At  the  moment  when  the  British  expedition  was  directed 
against  him,  the  army  of  the  Abyssinian  potentate,  the  Negus 
Theodorus,  numbered  about  40,000  men.  The  infantry  carry  a 
spear,  shield,  and  long  curved  sabre,  and  they  attack  their  enemy 
impetuously  at  close  quarters.  The  light  cavalry  is  excellent. 
The  horsemen,  when  charging,  let  go  their  bridles,  fight  with 
both  hands,  and  guiding  and  urging  their  horses  with  leg  and 
knee  only,  make  them  perform  the  most  prodigious  feats.  Each 
man  has  a  sword  and  two  lances ;  ths  latter  always  hit  the  mai-k, 
and  their  wound  is  deadly.  They  are  used  like  javelins,  and  are 
about  two  yards  long.  Every  horseman  is  followed  by  an 
attendant  retainer,  whose  duty  it  is  to  da^h  among  the  enemy, 
sword  in  hand,  in  order  to  recover  his  master's  weapon,  and  bring 
it  back  to  him.  These  horsemen  charge  headlong  against  an 
infantry  square,  making  their  horses  bound  into  its  midst  over 
the  heads  of  the  soldiers,  and  then  backing  them  in  order  to  break 
its  formation. 

The  skirmishers  are  Tigre  moxmtaineers,  of  cool,  resolute 
courage,  and  their  aim  is  remarkably  good. 

The  Emperor  Theodorus  seldom  occupied  his  palace.  His 
real  capital  was  his  camp,  which  he  kept  incessantly  moving  from 
one  end  of  his  dominions  to  the  other.  He  maintained  strict 
discipline  in  his  household  and  on  his  stafi*,  among  the  members 
of  which  the  bastinado  was  often  liberally  used. 

Two  fifths  of  the  Abyssinian  population  are  in  the  seiTice  of 
the  wealthier  classes,  and  probably  there  is  no  country  in  the 
world  where  servitude  is  more  widely  spread.  A  person  pos- 
sessed of  an  income  equal  to  £160  a  year,  keeps  at  least  eight 
dependants.  M.  Lejean  had  no  fewer  than  seventeen  attendants 
during  his  journey,  and  his  travelling  companion,  an  Englishman, 
as  many  as  seventy. 

The  religion  of  this  coimtry  forms  a  rare  exception  in  Africa, 
as  the  inhabitants  are  Christians.  The  head  of  the  Abyssinian 
church  is  styled  the  **  Abouna,"  and  his  theocratic  powers  are 
almost  boimdless.  King  and  pontiff  entertain  a  mutual  hatred  of 
one  another,  each  dreading  his  rival  and  keeping  close  watch  upon 
his  movements.  Whichever  of  the  two  possesses  greater  courage 
and  energy  gains  the  upper  hand. 


ETHIOPIAN   BRANCH. 

Monka  and  priests  are  comiiiou  in  Abyesinia. 

Tlie  nativeB  take  a  decoction  of  kotisso  once  a  month  as  a  cure 
for  the  tapeworm.  The  fact  is,  that  in  consequence  of  some  local 
circumstances,  the  meat  used  in  the  countrji  is  full  of  cystSt 
which,  getting  into  the  stomach  along  with  the  food,  generate  i 
the  intestines  this  troublesome  guest  that  must  be  got  rid  of  from 
time  to  time.  This  remedy  for  tapeworm  has  been  recently  m 
introduced  into  Europe. 

Barabras. — The  Barabras  are  the  natives  of  Nubia.  They  I 
occupy  that  part  of  the  valley  comprised  between  the  southern  I 
frontier  of  Egypt  and  Sennaar,  that  is  to  my.  Nubia. 

This  race  differs  widely  from  the  Arabs,  and  all  adjoining  I 
nations.  They  dwell  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  and,  wherever  thi  1 
soil  is  found  favourable,  plant  date  trees,  sink  wells  for  irrigatloDf  I 
and  sow  various  kinds  of  leguminous  plants. 

Blumenbach  was  forcibly  stnick  with  the  resemblance  of  tbti  1 
Barabras  to  the  figures  and  paintings  to  be  met   with  on  the  J 
different  monuments  of  ancient  Egjpt.     This  people,  like  the] 
Egyptians,  have  a  reddish  black  skin,  but  of  a  much  darker  tii^  I 
The  characteristic  features  of  the  i)m'e  Barabras  are  oval  anft^ 
somewhat  long  faces,  with  aquiline  noses,  very  well  formed  aikd 
slightly  rounded   towards   the   point,  lips   thick  without  bdag 
protruding,  a  receding  chin,  thin  beard,  animated  eyes,  very  onrij' 
but  never  frizzled  hair,  a  body  perfectly  in  proportion  and  usually 
of  the  middle  height,  and  lastly  a  bronze-coloured  skin. 

The  Barabras  are  classed  in  three  groups,  each  of  which  1 
dialect  of  its  own,  namely,  the  Noubaa  or  Nubians,  the  A'cMOiUyl 
and  the  DongouUihs ;  all  of  whom  inhabit  the  Nile  valley. 

According  to  Burckhardt  the  Noubaa  differ  in  many  reapect»J 
from  the  Negroes,  especially  in  the  softness  of  their  skin,  which  is  I 
very  smooth  and  flexible,  while  the  palm  of  a  genuine  Negro's 
hand  is  rough  and  as  hard  as  wood.     Their  noses,  too,  are  leal 
flat,  their  lips  less  thick,  and  their  cheek-bones  less  prominei 
than  those  of  .a  Negro.     Fritchard's  opinion  is  that  the  Barabrasf 
probably  migrated  from  Kordofao. 

A  description  of  thia  iBce  is  also  to  be  found  in  the  "  VoyagQi 
en  Egypte,"  by  MM.  Hemri  Camnur  and  Andri  Lefevre,  byi 
whom  the  conntry  wae  txfita^i  in  1660,  aad  from  its  pages  w»  I 
take  the  following  « 


362  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

"We  ai'e  in  Nubia,  and  Arabic  is  no  longer  spoken.  The 
inhabitants,  though  usually  inoflfensive,  have  nevertheless  a  war- 
like gait;  the  dagger  hanging  by  a  strap  to  their  arm,  their 
ironwood  bow  and  their  buckler  of  crocodile  hide  are  the  tokens 
and  protectors  of  their  liberty.  Their  rulers  obtain  notliing 
from  them  except  by  force. 

"  The  moment  the  river  recedes,  these  vigorous  husbandmen 
dispute  with  it  for  the  fertilizing  slime  which  suffices  for  a 
fourfold  harvest. 

'*  Do  not  imagine  that  they  labour :  it  is  enough  for  them  when 
they  have  sown  pinches  of  com  in  shallow  holes,  for  nature  does 
all  the  rest. 

**  So  favoured  a  climate,  as  may  well  be  imagined,  does  not 
impose  on  the  Nubian  the  inconvenience  of  ha\4ng  to  wear 
clothing.  The  majority  cany  nothing  more  upon  them  than  a 
few  weapons  and  their  dusky  skins.  The  women's  costumes 
are  oddly  fashioned.  They  stain  their  lips  and  twist  their  hair 
into  numberless  tmy  plaits,  which  are  not  re-made  eveiy  da}-. 
Egj-ptian  females  would  look  on  them  as  indecent,  for  allowing 
the  lower  part  of  tlie  face  to  be  seen  ;  and  more  than  tliat  even, 
the  girls,  uj)  to  the  time  of  their  marriage,  wear  no  covering 
beyond  a  narrow  girdle.  The  villages  are  rather  near  each  other, 
and  seldom  consist  of  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  earthen  huts, 
having  flat  roofs  thatched  with  palm  branches.  In  front  of  the 
cabins  are  ranged,  as  at  Dolce  for  instance,  large  jars,  in  which 
the  com  is  kejit  stored. 

**  Ruins  belonging  to  all  ages  and  every  ancient  divinity  are  to 
be  found  in  Nubia." 

The  inhabitants  of  Eastern  Nubia  are  merely  wandering  tiibes 
who  traverse  the  country  included  between  the  Nile  and  the  Red 
Sea;  the  dwellers  in  the  northern  part  are  known  as  the  Ahahdehs. 

The  Bicharyehs  spread  themselves  as  far  as  the  Abyssmian 
frontiers,  and  the  Hadharebs  are  still  more  to  the  south,  reach- 
ing to  Souakin  on  the  Red  Sea.  The  Souakins  belong  to  the 
last-named  race. 

The  Bicharyehs  are  savage  and  inhospitable,  and  it  is  asserted 
that  they  drink  the  still  warm  blood  of  living  animals.  They  ai-e 
chiefly  nomadic,  and  maintain  themselves  on  the  flesh  or  the  milk 
of  their  flocks.  All  travellers  agree  in  representing  them  as  fine 
men  with  regular  features,  large,  expressive  eyes,  light,  elegant 


ETHIOPIAN   BRANCH.  363 

frames,  and  a  dark  chocolate-coloured  complexion.  Their  method 
of  wearing  the  hair  is  very  curious.  Those  who  possess  it  in 
sufficient  length  to  reach  helow  the  ear,  allow  it  to  hang  in 
straight,  tangled  locks,  each  of  which  terminates  in  a  curl.  This 
lieadgear  is  impregnated  with  grease,  and  is  so  much  matted 
that  there  would  be  a  difficulty  in  getting  a  comb  through  it. 
They  refrain,  besides,  from  touching  it,  and  in  order  not  to  spoil 
its  aiTangement  are  always  provided  with  a  bit  of  pointed  stick, 
like  a  large  needle,  which  they  put  into  requisition  whenever 
scratching  becomes  necessary. 

The  head-dress  of  the  Souakins  is  equally  extraordinary,  and 
the  scratching  pin  is  also  an  obligatoiy  accompaniment  of  their 
toilet. 

Tlie  Ababdehs  have  hair  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  inches 
long ;  tlieii'  lips  are  slightly  thick,  their  noses  rather  long,  and  in 
complexion  they  are  almost  black.  They  are  nomadic,  and  live 
in  the  same  wav  as  the  Bedouins. 

2'lhbous, — The  Tibbous,  who  wander  over  the  country  to  the 
east  of  tlie  Sahara,  have  been  looked  upon  as  belonging  to  the 
Berber  family,  but  their  complexion  is  darker  and  they  do  not 
speak  the  Arab  tongue.  Their  noses  are  aquiline,  theu'  lips  but 
slightly  thick,  they  have  intelligent  faces,  and  are  of  slender  build. 
Their  acti\ity  is  very  great  and  they  are  addicted  to  robbing 
caravans. 

Galkis, — The  Gallas  are  strangers  to  civilization,  the  majority 
scattered  over  the  plains  which  extend  to  the  south  of  Abyssinia, 
leading  a  pastoral  and  nomadic  life.  They  are  divided  into  a 
gi'eat  many  independent  tiibes,  being  kept  imited,  however,  by 
origin  and  language.  They  are  warlike,  cruel,  and  given  to 
plunder.  Their  colour  is  very  handsome  and  their  hair  usually 
curly  or  woolly ;  they  have  coarse,  short  features  and  large  lips. 
Islamism  has  been  embraced  by  a  few  tribes,  but  the  greater 
number  remain  attached  to  the  old  African  Paganism. 


Fellan  Family. 

The  FeUans,  who  are  also  called  Fellatahs,  Pouls,  or  Peuhls, 
have  not  been  long  known  except  by  some  tribes  who  inhabit 


364  THE   BBOWN    RACK 

Senegambia  and  who  sometimes  penetrated  the  Soudan.  Their 
skin  is  extremely  dark,  inclining  sometimes  to  a  reddish,  and 
sometimes  to  a  copper  colom*,  but  being  never  really  black; 
they  have  rather  long  hair,  smooth  and  silky  ;  their  nose  is  not 
flattened ;  the  shape  of  their  face  is  oval ;  their  stature  tall  and 
slight ;  the  extremities  of  the  limbs  delicate  and  small ;  their 
step  light  and  commanding. 

We  class  among  the  Fellan  family  the  people  dwelling  in  the 
western  part  of  Africa,  such  as  the  inhabitants  of  Nigritia  and 
Bambara. 

The  capital  of  Nigritia,  Sego  or  Segou,  is  a  tolerably  large 
town  situated  on  the  Niger. 

Probably  many  other  nations  of  Western  Africa  ought  to  be 
placed  side  by  side  with  the  Fellans  and  a  comparison  should  also 
be  established  between  them  and  the  people  of  Madagascar, 
the  Owas. 

All  these  races  difier  from  the  Negroes,  although  dwelling  on 
the  confines  of  the  country  belonging  to  the  latter  branch,  with 
which  some  authors  erroneously  confound  them,  but  the  physical 
characteristics  that  mark  them  as  distinct  are  well-established. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MALAY    BRANCH. 

This  branch  approaches  closely  to  the  Indo-Chinese.  The 
races  composing  it  are  of  medium  height,  regularly  made  and  with 
well-proportioned  limbs ;  their  skin  varies  from  an  olive-yellow 
to  a  brown  hue,  and  their  hair  is  smooth,  black,  or  occasionally 
brown.  They  appear  susceptible  of  civilization  and  are  often 
divided  into  regular  nations. 

Dumont  d*Urville  has  distinguished  among  these  races  three 
divisions  which  he  has  designated  by  tlie  appellations  of  Malay$^ 
Polynesians,  and  Micronesians ;  and  these  gi'oups  will  be  treated 
here  as  so  many  families. 

Malay  Family. 

The  Malay  family,  which  inhabits  Malaysia  and  the  peninsula 
of  Malacca,  is  made  up  of  a  vast  number  of  nations,  the  widely 
varied  characteristics  of  which  partake  more  or  less  of  those  of 
the  Indo-Chinese,  the  Hindoos,  and  even  the  Negroes.  We  shall 
specify  in  this  family  the  Malays,  Javanese,  Battas,  Bugs,  or 
Bougis,  the  Macassars,  Dyaks,  and  Tagals. 

Malays. — The  Malays  constitute  the  most  numerous  and 
remai'kable  branch  of  this  family.  They  are  spread  over  the 
peninsula  of  Malacca,  the  islands  of  Java,  Borneo,  Sumatra,  and 
Celebes,  and  in  the  Moluccas,  etc.  This  group  of  islands  was 
formerly  known  as  the  Indian  Archipelago,  and  owes  its  name 
of  Malaysia  to  the  naturalist  Lesson. 

The  chief  characteristics  of  the  Malays  are  a  lithe  and  active 
body,  medium  stature,  somewhat  slanting  eyes,  prominent  cheek' 
bones,  a  flat  nose,  smooth  glossy  hair,  and  a  scanty  beard. 


366  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

Their  limbs  are  elegantly  formed  and  their  hair  is  black  and 
curling.  The  flatness  of  their  noses  is  attributable  to  an  arti- 
ficial cause,  as,  immediately  on  the  birth  of  an  infant,  this 
feature  is  compressed  until  the  cartilage  is  broken,  for  a  broad 
flat  face  is  considered  a  point  of  beaut}',  and  a  projecting 
nose  would  be  looked  on  as  a  snout.  Their  lips  are  deformed 
by  the  inordinate  chewing  of  the  betel  leaf,  and  become  ulti- 
mately repulsive  in  appearance  on  account  of  their  exaggerated 
redness  and  the  extravasated  blood  beneath  their  surface.  The 
yellow  colour  of  their  skin  is  heightened  still  more  by  artificial 
means,  for  it  is  regarded  as  an  attraction,  and  is  the  aristocratic 
tint ;  daily  rubbing  with  henna  or  turmeric  bring  it  to  a  sal&on 
tinge.  The  natural  complexion  of  the  women  is  pale  and  duU ; 
brown  is  predominant  among  the  men.  The  jirinces  and  digni- 
taries stain  a  dark  yellow  every  part  of  the  body  exposed  to 
view. 

A  Malay's  clothing  is  of  a  very  light  description,  consisting, 
both  for  men  and  women,  of  two  large  pieces  of  stuff  skilfully 
arranged  and  confined  at  the  waist  by  a  scarf.  Princes  and 
moneyed  persons  alone  wear  a  kind  of  di'awers. 

The  indolence  of  the  Malays  is  excessive.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  slaves,  no  one  works.  The}'  are  in  fact  an  utterly 
demoralized  people ;  murder,  pillage,  and  outrage  are  famiUar  to 
them,  they  possess  neither  honour  nor  gratitude,  and  have  no 
resi)ect  for  their  j^ledged  word.  Play  is  with  them  a  passion,  a 
frenzy.  They  gamble  away  their  property,  their  wives  and 
children,  everything,  in  fact,  except  their  own  persons.  They  ai'e 
victims  of  opium  and  the  betel  plant.  Nevertheless  some  laws 
have  existence  among  them,  for  murder  and  robbeiy  are  punish- 
able by  fines  and  corporal  punishments. 

The  Malays  of  the  Malacca  peninsula  are  not,  like  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Archipelago,  violent,  passionate,  and  lazy.  They 
are  an  energetic,  provident,  trading,  industrious  race,  but  quite 
as  rapacious  and  as  tricky  as  the  others.  Like  the  inhabitants 
of  Malaysia,  too,  they  are  prone  to  vengeance,  and  when  under 
the  influence  of  opium  this  sentiment  becomes  inflamed,  and 
turns  into  a  kind  of  fury,  directed  not  only  against  the  person 
of  the  offender  but  also  against  harmless  passers-by.  The 
Malay  who  is  a  prey  to  this  double  paroxysm  of  oj^ium  and 
frenzy,   snatches   up   a  sharp   weapon,   dashes  forth  furiously. 


MALAY    BRANCH.  367 

shouting  "Kill!  Kill!"  and  strikes  everyone  who  crosses  his 
path. 

The  police  of  the  countr}'  employ  a  small  body  of  very  strong 
nncl  active  men  whose  special  duty  it  is  to  seize  these  raging 
maniacs.  They  hunt  the  miserable  wretch  tlirough  the  streets, 
and  liaving  caught  liim  by  the  neck  in  a  kind  of  fork,  tlirow  him 
on  the  ground  and  pin  him  there  until  n  sufEicient  reinforcement 


arrives  to  enable  tliem  to  tie  him  hand  and  foot,  when  he  is 
brought  before  a  court  of  justice  and  nearly  always  sentenced  to 
deutli  (fig.  1G9). 


Jiivanese. — These  people,  who  inhabit  tlie  island  of  Java,  are 
rather  light  in  complexion,  and  bear  a  close  resemblance  to  the 
Indo-Chinese.  For  the  following  information  about  the  popula- 
tion of  tliis  wonderful  and  splendid  country,  we  are  mdebted  to 
il.  de  Molins,  wlio  made  a  stay  of  two  years  there,  and  whose 
notes  have  been  arranged  and  published  by  M;  F.  Coppee,  in  tlie 
"  Tour  du  Monde." 


368  THE    BROWN    RA.CR 

The  stranger  traversing  Batavia,  the  chief  town  of  Java, 
cannot  be  an  uninterested  obseiTer  of  the  motley  crowd 
perpetually  renewing  itself  before  his  eyes.  Among  the  number- 
less half-clothed  men  he  sees  none  but  brawny  shoulders  and 
wiry,  muscular  frames.  He  is  struck  by  the  dull,  dark  brown 
complexion  of  the  Indian,  whose  hue  appears  to  vary  with  the 
district  where  he  happens  to  be  located ;  for  his  skin  which  seems 
brick-red  on  the  sea  coast  assumes  a  violet  and  pinkish  tinge 
near  masses  of  vegetation,  and  becomes  almost  black  in  a  dusty 
region.  The  perfectly  naked  children  gambolling  in  the  fuU  rays 
of  the  sun  look  like  fine  antique  bronzes,  so  gi'aceful  are  theii* 
attitudes  and  so  faultless  their  mould.  The  Malay  in  his 
turban,  tight-fitting  green  vest,  and  grey  petticoat  striped  with 
whimsical  patterns,  has  quite  a  handsome  head.  His  face  is  oval 
with  eyes  of  almond  shape  and  a  thin,  straight  nose ;  the  mouth 
is  shaded  by  a  slight,  glossy  black  moustache  and  liis  high  broad 
forehead  is  admirably  formed.  All  do  not  perhaps  possess  so 
many  advantages,  but  they  are  without  exception  finely  made, 
with  beautiful  black,  smooth,  and  silky  hair. 

The  Javanese  wear  hats  of  bamboo,  the  plaiting  of  which  is 
perfect.  These  are  of  all  patterns,  large  and  small,  round,  pointed, 
or  made  in  the  shaj^e  of  shields,  extinguishers,  or  basins.  Their 
costume  varies ;  some  of  the  men  wear  Ai-ab  vests  and  wide 
trousers ;  some  would  be  naked  but  for  a  sort  of  di-awers  ;  while 
a  few  swathe  their  loins  in  a  piece  of  Indian  calico  which  dis- 
plays the  form ;  and  others  are  clad  in  a  very  narrow  petticoat 
that  produces  a  most  picturesque  effect.  The  natives  make  all 
then*  garments  out  of  a  broad  piece  of  stuff  manufactured  in  the 
country,  the  devices  and  colours  of  which  manifest  extraordinaiy 
variety  and  astonishing  taste. 

The  women's  head-dress  consists  of  a  handkercliief  which  is 
tied  and  arranged  in  a  more  or  less  artistic  manner. 

At  Soiu'abaya  the  traveller  mingled  in  the  thi'ong,  composed  of 
a  sprinkling  of  Chinese,  Malays,  and  natives  of  Madm-a,  but 
throughout  which  the  Javanese  element  predominatede  The 
typical  costume  of  the  coimtry  may  be  said  to  consist  of  the 
long-folded  sahrong,  a  very  close-fitting  vest,  and  a  kind  of  sun- 
shade on  the  head,  covered  in  blue  cloth  interwoven  with  gold 
and  silver  thread,  and  lined  with  red.  The  colours  used  here 
are   not  very   gaudy,  and   the   priests  may  at  once   be   recog- 


THE   HCMIS    RACE 


■ 


I 


/ 


« 
p 


MALAY   BRANCH.  369 

nizeii  by  tlieii-  ample  turbans  tmA  white  muslin  vests.     A  few 

palanquins  were  moving  about  through  the  crowd  ;  those  of  the 

Javanese  are  formed  of  a 

hammock  suspended  from 

a  bamboo  cross-stick  and 

sheltered  from  the  raj's  of 

the  sun  by  a  httle  roof  of 

bamboo  or  palm-leaf  miit- 

ting.     Long    boats    luden 

with    cargo     and     liavinf* 

gracefully    curved     pro^^■s 

were  passing  up  and  down 

the  river. 

On  fete  days  all  the 
components  of  this  motley 

multitude  are  drawn  toge-       ^^^^^^^^^\\    ^^  > 

ther  by  the  iierfonnnncea 
of  the  Javanese  bayaderes, 
or  dancing  girls  (fig.  172). 

When  visiting  the  ceme- 
tery M,  de  Molins  saw  tlie 
native  Prince  of  Soera- 
baya,  who  had  come  there 
to  pray  at  the  tomb  of 
his  forefathers.  His  ex- 
cessively simple  costume 
was  only  distinguishei] 
from  that  of  ordinai-y  Java- 
nese by  a  loop  of  dia- 
monds stuck  in  the  verj" 
small  turban  enveloping 
hia  head,  and  by  a  beauti- 
^  gold  clasp  fastenmg  the 
belt  of  his  sahrong. 

In  the  Javanese  Kam- 
pong  our  traveller  saw 
copper  articles;  such  as 
betel-roll  boxes,  bowls,  and 
water  vases;  which  were  ornamented  in  charming  and  fantastic 
taste  with  engraved  arabesques  representing  the  Sowers,  fruits. 


t  n^' 

S^  y!S^^M„1 

i  \^^^-  <:  r-^^ 

-mtr^ 

«.  ^^SH^^BBB^ 

1";     "* 

■■'*- 

Sl^^ 

Ell 

^■ii^HHHMIu^  ^^^EmH 

1 

'      '"■■■.■-.   „         ^-^.^^^ 

•v.-r.:. 

1 

^ i«t 

MALAY   BRANCH.  371 

and  animals  of  the  country ;  and  he  was  struck  with  surprise  at 
the  goldsmiths  being  able  to  form  such  marvellous  trinkets  with 
tools  of  the  most  primitive  description.  He  went  to  see  one  of 
the  large  manufactories  where  are  made  the  curious  salirongs 
worn  by  the  inhabitants,  the  shades  of  colour  in  which  rival 
those  of  the  most  valuable  cashmeres  in  brilliancy,  liarmon}',  and 
richness.  The  process  of  making  these  fabrics  is  a  slow  and 
difficult  one.  A  fine  sahrong  is  worth  more  than  £4  and  does 
not  exceed  two  and  a  half  yards  in  length  by  one  yard  in  width. 

In  one  of  his  excursions  M.  de  Molins  met  a  wedding  pro- 
cession. The  happy  couple,  who  belonged  to  two  equally  rich 
families,  were  in  a  very  pretty  palanquin  surmounted  by  a  canopy 
ornamented  with  palm  leaves  and  a  trellis-work  of  bamboos  and 
reeds.  The  garments  of  the  newly  married  paii'  were  of  red  silk 
brocaded  with  gold  embroidery,  and  their  heads,  necks,  arms 
and  hands  were  covered  with  jewellery.  Children  ran  alongside 
and  in  front  shouting  and  making  the  air  resound  with  the 
noise  of  gongs,  tom-toms,  and  cymbals  (fig.  173).  Four  men 
in  yellow  breeches,  with  blue  and  white  girdles,  their  hips 
adorned  by  long  pointed  strips  of  blue  and  yellow  silk,  and  their 
heads  bound  with  a  tightly-fitting  turban  of  the  same  colours, 
carried  at  the  end  of  long  poles,  bright,  waving  bouquets  made 
of  tiny  rosettes  of  blue,  yellow,  and  white  paper  attached  to 
thin  canes.  Relatives,  friends,  and  all  those  who  expected  to 
partake  of  the  repast  which  was  generously  provided,  followed 
the  palanquin. 

Ceremonies  of  different  kinds  precede  tliis  solemn  procession  ; 
and  for  several  days  before  it  takes  place  the  betrothed  couple 
are  obliged  to  submit  to  a  public  exhibition  and  general  hubbub, 
and  are  condemned  to  remain  nearly  completely  motionless  and 
in  almost  total  abstinence,  lest  they  should  in  any  way  damage 
their  clothes. 

This  marriage  festival  is  the  grand  occasion  for  displaying  all 
the  resources  of  Javanese  culinary  art.  The  fruits  are  served 
at  the  beginning  of  the  banquet,  and  steamed  rice  only  slightly 
cooked  forms  the  principal  dish. 

The  feast  would  be  a  sorry  one,  if  the  bill  of  fare  did  not 
include  pickles,  salt  fish  dried  in  the  sun  while  alive,  half-hatched 
eggs  also  salted,  a  hash  of  meats  perfumed  with  roses  and  jessa? 
mine,  the  seeds  of  varioas  plants,  and  slices  of  cocoa-nut  rolled 

B  B  2 


THE    BROWN    RACE. 


in  pimento.  The  fii-st  time  n  European  tastes  these  dishes  he 
feels  a  dreadful  sensation  of  burning,  which  passes  from  the 
mouth  to  the  stomach  and  seema  to  be  ever  increasing.  Bn{ 
people  soon  appear  to  gi'ow  accustomed  to  these  spicy  ragoats ; 


and  M.  de  Molina  aaya  that  in  a  abort  time  this  kind  of  cookery, 
vhich  greatly  tends  to  stimulate  the  appetite,  becomes  indis- 
pensable. 

During  this  gentleman's  stay  at  Soerabayn,  the  Butch 
Governor- General  of  Java  was  there  on  bis  tour  of  inspection 
of  the  island,  which  takes  place  every  iive  years.  High  fes- 
tivities bad  been  ordered  for  the  reception  of  this  exalted 
iiersonage,  and  M.  de  Molins  gives  us  a  sketch  of  the  princea 


MALAY   BRANCH.  373 

who  were  present  at  a  grand  revel.  The  skin  of  many  was 
blue ;  their  perfectly  delicate  and  regular  features  bore  the  me- 
lancholy stamp  peculiar  to  Orientals,  and  their  movements  were 
full  of  ease  and  grace.  Their  salirong,  woven  in  silk  of  the 
most  beautiful  shades,  was  fastened  at  the  waist  by  a  flowing 
girdle  that  fell  over  extremely  tight  pantaloons,  and  sparkled 
witli  gold  embroidery ;  their  chest,  shoulders,  and  arms  were  left 
naked,  and  had  been  thickly  coated  mih  safeon-coloured  powder 
for  the  occasion.  Their  head-gear  consisted  of  a  truncated  cone, 
either  blue,  red,  or  black,  braided  with  gold  or  silver  lace ;  and 
their  eai's  were  adorned  with  a  kind  of  wing,  in  goldwork  of  the 
most  exquisite  finish  and  lightness.  The  princes  were  accom- 
panied by  the  officers  of  their  suite,  among  whom  the  Umbrella- 
Bearer  was  conspicuous.  The  enormous  sunshades  carried  by 
those  functionaries  bear  a  double  resemblance  to  a  shield  and  a 
lance,  and  are  at  once  warlike-lookmg  and  foppish.  They  are 
gilt  or  silvered,  gi^een,  blue,  or  black,  and  produce  the  most 
imcommon  efiect. 

Battas. — The  Battas,  who  inhabit  the  island  of  Sumatra, 
exhibit  a  very  singular  mixture  in  their  habits,  as  they  unite  with 
ideas  of  order  and  civilization  practices  quite  as  ferocious  as  those 
of  the  most  savage  people. 

Boiigis  and  Macassars. — The  Bougis  and  Mankasses  (Mang- 
kassars,  which  Europeans  have  turned  into  Macassars)  occupy 
the  Celebes  Islands,  and  are  renowned  for  their  courage. 

The  former  nation  is  looked  on  as  tlie  most  ancient  and 
enlightened  race  in  the  Celebes  group.  Not  only  have  they  a 
secret  and  sacred  language,  but  a  second  idiom  which  is  familiar 
to  all  classes,  and  in  addition  a  written  tongue.  They  possess 
a  system  of  writing,  and  even  a  literature.  These  men  are  up- 
right, faithful  to  their  promise,  and  thoroughly  loyal  in  diplomatic 
and  commercial  dealings.  Their  mere  word  is  of  more  value 
than  the  most  solemn  oaths  of  the  inhabitants  of  Java,  Sumatra, 
and  Borneo. 

Tagales. — The  Tagales  and  Bissayes  who  dwell  in  the  Philip- 
pines ;  the  former  in  Luzon,  and  the  latter  in  the  centre  group ; 
speak  dialects  very  different  from  those  of  the  Malays,  properly 


374  THE   BROWN    RACK 

so-called.  The  anonymous  author  who  has  described  the 
voyage  of  the  Austrian  frigate  Novara,  has  supplied  us  with  some 
details  as  to  the  varied  and  amusing  aspect  of  the  population  of 
Manilla,  the  chief  town  of  Luzon. 

The  padres,  in  long  black  soutanes,  and  spout-shaped  felt  hats^ 
stroll  under  the  shade  of  the  palm  trees;  Christian  Brothers 
jostle  Confraternities  of  the  Virgin  and  Fathers  of  the  Con- 
ception and  of  the  Nativity.  Make  way  for  grey,  yellow,  and 
brown-frocked  monks,  and  for  those  who  discipline  themselves 
with  hair  shirts  and  w^hips !  Galley-slaves,  chained  two  and  two^ 
are  quietly  mo\-ing  liither  and  thitlier  with  pails  of  water. 
Charming  senoritas,  mostly  Spanish  half-bloods,  with  mantillas 
falling  like  a  cascade  of  black  lace  along  their  raven  and  glossy 
tresses,  in  which  green  leaves  and  scarlet  blossoms  intertwine, 
compel  us  to  admii'e  their  listless  mien  and  their  well-arched  eye- 
brows shading  their  almond-shaped  eyes.  After  the  half-breeds, 
come  the  native  Tagales,  of  pure  or  of  mixed  blood ;  Chinese 
women ;  and  little  negresses  selling  fruit  and  bouquets,  or  loung- 
ing about  with  cigarettes  in  their  mouths. 

The  Tagales  whom  M.  de  Molins  saw  at  Manilla,  were  small 
and  weak.  Theii*  faces  were  by  no  means  disagreeable,  their 
colour  a  little  lighter  than  that  of  other  Malays,  and  then*  hair 
black  without  being  woolly.  The  combinations  of  this  race  with 
the  Negi'oes  and  Chinese,  ai)peared  to  him  most  interesting. 

Many  travellers  have  described  the  natives  of  the  PhiUppines. 
They  are  well-made  men,  of  elegant,  easy  figure,  and  medium 
stature.  Their  feet  and  hands  are  small,  exhibitmg  extreme 
delicacy  at  the  point  where  they  join  tlie  limbs.  They  have 
oval  faces,  with  small  but  regular  noses,  well-coloured  lips,  and 
teeth  that  are  long  and  white  imtil  they  become  spoiled  by 
chewing  the  betel-leaf.  The  men's  hair  is  silky  and  curled; 
that  of  the  women,  soft,  fine,  and  glossy. 

The  brown  tint  of  the  complexion  is  very  changeable  among  these 
islanders,  vaiying  from  the  dark  shade  which  belongs  to  those 
living  in  the  open  air,  such  as  fishermen,  himters,  and  tillers  of 
the  soil,  to  the  fair  skins  of  the  upper  and  sedentaiy  classes. 
That  portion  of  the  people  which  has  not  been  subjected  to 
foreign  influence  is  ingenious,  industrious,  and  active.  The  men 
are  warlike,  and  make  excellent  boat-builders.  Their  jimks 
made  of  plaited  bamboo,  and  manned  by  a  couple  of  hundred 


MALAY   BRANCH.  d75 

warriors  and  rowers,  spread  such  powerful  sails  and  possess  such 
speed,  that  they  are  the  envy  of  the  Spanish  ship-builders. 

Dyaks. — There  are  some  tribes  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
people  of  whom  we  have  just  spoken  and  especially  in  the  interior 
of  the  countries  of  which  the  Malays  occupy  the  coasts,  who  are 
generally  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Alfusus.  They  have  been 
often  regarded  as  members  of  a  separate  stock,  and  a  connexion 
has  even  been  traced  between  them  and  the  black  race,  but  the 
greater  part  of  these  tribes  ought  to  be  considered  as  forming 
part  of  the  Malay  family.  Among  them  are  the  Dyaks,  a 
nmnerous  people  inhabiting  the  interior  of  Borneo,  and  the 
Turajas  who  dwell  in  the  Celebes  Islands. 

The  Dyaks  (fig.  174)  have  well-made  bodies,  and  the  women's 
faces  are  mild  and  agreeable  in  expression,  but  the  men's  far  from 
attractive.  The  constant  warfare  which  they  carrj'  on  with  the 
Malays  of  the  coast  may  be  the  cause  why  their  featm'es  become 
ultimately  so  changed  imder  the  combined  influences  of  fear, 
passion,  and  revenge. 

The  Dyaks  who  occupy  the  plains,  and  those  living  on  the 
borders  of  rivers  or  in  the  woods,  may  be  separately  classed. 
Both  groups  are  of  similar  statm'e,  possess  featm'es  alike,  and  the 
same  lank,  black  hair,  with  large  curls,  which  is  however  never 
woolly  or  frizzled  ;  but  those  occupying  the  dense  forests  rising 
from  the  river  banks  have  fairer  complexions.  Mutual  hatred 
has  been  sworn  between  the  two  races,  and  they  abandon  them- 
selves to  incessant  conflicts,  and  have  ever  to  be  on  their  guard 
against  terrible  surprises  in  which  many  heads  are  cut  ofi^.  No 
Dyak  would  venture  to  present  himself  to  a  girl,  without  being 
able  to  show  her  the  head  of  an  enemy  who  had  been  overcome 
and  sacrificed  by  him.  A  warrior's  renown  depends  on  the 
number  of  heads  he  has  acquired,  and  skulls  dried  in  the  fire  form 
the  ornaments  and  trophies  of  his  hut. 

These  cutters  off  of  heads  are  very  cleanly,  and  bathe  twice  a  day 
regularly.  They  have  extremely  severe  laws,  by  which  murder, 
outrage,  and  robbery  are  pimished  in  the  same  way.  They 
profess  great  veneration  for  old  age  as  well  as  towards  the  dead. 
Their  chronological  system  is  based  upon  the  yangas,  or  ages,  as 
among  the  Hindoos,  and  they  believe  the  present  to  be  the  age  of 
misfortune.    Their  notion  is,  that  some  day  during  an  eclipse  of 


376  THE   BROWN   RACK 

the  sun  or  moon,  a  dragon  will  devour  the  stars ;  conseqaently 
whenever  such  phenomena  occur,  they  make  a  terrific  uproar  in 
order  to  scare  the  monster  away,  a  i^roceeding  which  has  been 
invariably  successful ! 

In  her  travels  along  the  rivers  Lappas  and  Kapouas  (western 
side  of  Borneo)  Madame  Ida  Pfeiffer  visited  a  tribe  of  independent 
Dyaks,  who  are  called  '*  Head- Cutters "  by  the  English  and 
Dutch.  She  saw  an  immense  cabin  about  sixtj'  yards  long,  in 
the  verandah  of  which  fabrics  made  of  cotton  or  of  plaited  bark  of 
trees,  splendid  mats  and  baskets  of  ever}'  shape  and  size,  were 
displayed.  Drums  and  gongs  hung  on  the  walls,  and  large  piles 
of  bamboos,  bags  of  rice,  and  diied  pork,  showed  that  the 
Dyaks  had  exhibited  all  their  wealth  for  the  occasion. 

Nor  were  tlieir  own  persons  by  any  means  forgotten.  They 
had  loaded  their  necks  down  to  the  breast  with  glass  beads, 
bears'  teeth,  and  shells ;  brass  rings  covered  the  lower  part  of 
their  legs,  reaching  half-way  to  the  knee,  their  arms  were 
adorned  in  the  same  way  to  the  shoulders,  and  similar  decora- 
tions were  in  their  ears.  Some  wore  a  sort  of  red  stuff  cap,  em- 
bellished with  pearls,  shells,  and  little  flat  bits  of  brass ;  others 
had  wound  round  their  lieads  a  fillet  fonned  of  a  piece  of  bark, 
the  deeply  fringed  ends  of  which  stuck  out  like  feathei's.  A  man 
decked  out  in  this  fashion,  covered  with  ornaments  from  head 
to  foot,  presents  a  rather  comical  appeiu-aiice. 

The  women  had  fewer  adornments  ;  they  wore  no  earrings,  nor 
bears*  teeth  collars ;  a  few  displayed  some  glass  beads ;  but  more 
were  satisfied  with  an  incalculable  number  of  brass  or  leaden 
rings. 

Madame  Pfeiff'er,  while  among  the  Dyaks,  witnessed  a  sword- 
dance,  which  was  executed  in  the  most  skilful  and  elegant 
manner. 

Tliis  travelled  lady  also  visited  another  tribe  located  higher  up 
the  river,  where  she  observed  the  same  things,  and  in  addition 
saw  two  human  heads  lately  cut  off.  When  showing  them  to 
Madame  Pfeiffer,  the  Dyaks  spat  in  their  faces,  and  the  children 
cuffed  tliem,  and  spat  on  the  ground. 

The  shocking  custom  of  decapitation  owes  its  origin  to  super- 
stition. If  a  rajah  falls  ill,  or  sets  out  on  a  journey  among 
another  tribe,  he  and  his  subjects  imdertake  to  sacrifice  a  human 
head  in  case  of  his  recover}'  or  safe  return ;  and  should  he  die, 


MALAY    BRANCH.  377 

they  chop  off  a  skull  or  two.     The  heads  which  they  have  sworn 
to  immolate   must  be  obtained   at  any  cost.      The  Dyaks  hide 


themselves  in  the  long  jungle  grass,  behind  felled  branches  of 
trees,  or  under  the  dry  leaves,  and  lie  in  wait  for  entire  days.  If 
anybody,  man,  woman,  or  child,  comes  in  sight,  they  shoot  a 


378  THE    BROWN    RACE. 

poisoned  arrow  at  him,  and  rush  like  tigers  on  tlieir  pref. 
one  blow  the  liend  is  severed  from  the  body,  and  ])laced  in  a 
little  basket  reserved  for  tliis  puri>ose,  and  omameutod  vith 
human  hair. 

These  assassinations  frequently  give  rise  to  bloody  wars ;  for 
the  tribe,  a  member  of  whicli  has  been  thus  sacrificed  to  the  Iaw 
of  chance,  takes  up  arms,  and  never  lays  them  down  until 
the  most  teiiible  reprisals  have  been  exacted.  Severed  heads  are 
borne  back  in  triumph  and  solemnly  hung  up  in  the  place  of 
honour,  tlie  retaliation  being  celebrated  by  festirities  which  last 
for  a  month. 

On  one  occasion,  when  Madame  Pfeiffer  had  been  received  with 
profuse  respect  by  a  tribe,  slie  found  a  fi-eshly  cut  off  heaA 
suspended  over  her  bed,  along  with  othei-s  already  dried.  Sha 
could  not  close  her  eyes.  She  felt  in  a  perfect  fever  at  being': 
thus  encompassed  by  frenzied  men,  at  being  smothei-cd  by  the 
odour  of  these  human  remains,  and  at  being  lulled  to  rest  by  the 
sinister  sound  of  skulls  jangled  togethei-  by  the  wind. 

Yet  in  spite  of  choi>pecl-ofF  heads  and  festoons  of  buman 
skulls,  this  lady  considers  the  Dyaks  to  be  honest,  prudent,  and 
endowed  with  some  good  qualities.  She  i)laces  them  higher  ii 
the  scale  than  tlie  other  tribes  with  which  she  liad  au  opportuni* 
of  coming  in  contact.  Their  domestic  life,  whicli  is  truly 
archal  in  its  nature,  is  alluded  to  by  herwitli  pleasui'e,  as  are 
theii-  morality,  tlie  love  they  bear  theii-  ofi'spring,  and  the  res- 
evinced  by  tlie  children  towards  their  parents. 

The  independent  Dyaks  are  richer  than  tliose  living  buI)- 
sement  to  the  Malay  yoke.  Tliey  cultivate  rice,  maize,  tobacco, 
and  sometimes  the  sugar  cnne ;  find  in  the  woods  Dami 
resin  which  answers  Ughting  puriioses,  and  gather  large  harveste 
of  sago,  yams,  and  cocoa-nuts.  Some  of  tliese  jiroductioiis  are 
exchanged  by  them  for  pearl  beads,  brass,  salt,  and  cloth.  Their 
houses,  or  huts,  are  clean  and  well-kept  (fig.  175). 

A  Dyak  can  take  to  himself  as  many  wives  as  he  plenses,  but 
he  usually  contents  himself  .with  one,  whom  lie  treats  well  and 
does  not  burden  with  work.  Their  habits  are  purer  and  better 
than  those  of  the  Malays.  They  have  no  system  of  writing. 
Madame  Ifeiffer  did  not  see  among  tlieni  eitlier  temples  or  idola, 
priests  or  religious  sacrifices. 


380  THE    BROWN    RACK 

Polynesian  Family. 

The  tribes  included  by  Dumont  d'Urville  under  the  name  of 
PoljTiesians  inhabit  the  entire  eastern  part  of  Oceania,  namely, 
the  Sandwich  Islands,  the  Marquesas,  the  Friendly  and  Society 
groups,  the  Low  Archipelago,  New  Zealand,  etc. 

The  people  of  all  these  bear  the  close^st  affinity  to  each  other. 
Their  complexion  is  olive,  verging  on  brown,  but  not  copper- 
coloured  ;  they  are  tall  in  statm^e,  and  have  sinewy  limbs,  high 
foreheads,  black,  livel}',  and  expressive  eyes,  and  but  slightly 
flattened  noses.  Their  lips  ai'e  generally  larger  than  those  of  the 
whites,  but  they  nevertlieless  have  handsome  mouths  and  splendid 
teeth.  Their  hair  is  black  and  frizzled.  Throughout  the  whole 
vast  expanse  occupied  by  them  they  speak  the  same  language. 

Most  of  the  tribes  belonging  to  the  Pol^-nesian  family  are 
thorough  savages,  but  their  stock  is  diminishing  day  by  day,  and 
the  final  result  of  neighbouiing  civilization  will  be  to  replace  the 
native  element  by  European  races.  Meanwhile,  the  most  cruel 
customs  prevail  among  them,  and  even  cannibalism  is  practised 
by  some. 

"  Taboo "  holds  universally  an  impoiiiant  place  among  the 
populations  of  Oceania. 

Tliis  word  expresses  a  state  of  interdiction,  during  which  the 
object  struck  with  it  is  2)laeed  imder  the  immediate  control  of  the 
divinity.  No  man  can  infringe  upon  its  power  without  becoming 
exposed  to  the  most  disastrous  consequences,  tliat  is,  unless  he 
has  impaired  its  action  by  certain  fonnalities. 

Thus,  the  piece  of  ground  consecrated  to  a  god,  or  which  has 
become  the  burial  place  of  a  chief,  is  "  tabooed,"  and  they  place 
under  the  same  spell  a  canoe  which  they  desire  to  render  safer 
for  long  voyages.  To  fight  in  a  spot  subjected  to  '*  taboo  "  is 
forbidden,  and  in  order  to  prevent  certain  productions  from  be- 
coming scarce,  they  are  placed  under  similar  protection.  Au}-- 
one  guilty  of  robber}'  or  other  crime,  commits  a  fault  against 
"  taboo,"  and  the  man  who  touches  the  dead  body  of  a  cluef  or 
anything  he  was  in  the  habit  of  wearing,  falls  imder  a  like  ban, 
which  time  alone  can  remove,  etc. 

AVe  sliidl  allude  chiefly  to  the  aborigines  of  New  Zealand, 
giving  also  some  details  about  the  natives  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  as  well  as  about  the  Tongas,  or  Friendly  Islanders. 


1£ALAT  BBANOfl.  961 

New  Zealanders. — The  inhabitants  of  New  Zealand,  sometimes 
designated  by  the  name  of  Maoris,  are  tall,  robust,  and  of  athletic 
£rames.  Their  stature  is  generally  from  five  feet  seven  inches  to 
five  feet  eight  inches,  seldom  lower,  and  their  skin  scarcely  di£Eer8 
in  colour  from  that  of  the  people  of  the  South  of  Europe.  The 
expression  of  their  countenance  almost  always  indicates  a  gloomy 
ferocity.  The  face  is  oval,  the  forehead  narrow,  the  eye  large^ 
black,  and  full  of  fire.  The  nose  is  sometimes  aquiline,  but 
oftener  broad  and  flat,  the  mouth  wide,  the  lips  big,  and  beneath 
them  rows  of  small,  beautifully  enamelled  teeth. 

The  New  Zealanders  wear  their  hair  long  and  falling  in 
scattered  locks  over  the  face;  chiefs  alone  take  the  trouble  to 
comb  it  back  on  the  head  in  a  solitary  tuft.  It  is  rough  and 
black,  and  seems  occasionally  reddish,  because  some  individuals 
sprinkle  it  with  powdered  ochre. 

Women  who  are  not  slaves  possess  strong  vigorous  figures,  and 
are  rarely  imder  five  feet  and  a  few  inches  in  height.  The  young 
girls  have  a  broad  face,  masculine  features,  coarse  lips  frequently 
stained  black  by  tatooing,  a  large  mouth,  flat  nose,  and  uncombed 
hair  hanging  about  them  in  disorder.  Their  bodies  are  disgust- 
ingly filthy,  and  impregnated  with  an  odour  of  fish  or  of  seal  oil^ 
which  is  revolting  in  the  extreme. 

They  possess  a  few  advantages  as  a  set-off  against  the  repul- 
siveness  of  this  picture.  The  teeth  of  a  New  Zealand  female  are 
of  excessive  whiteness,  and  her  black  eyes  beam  with  intelligence 
and  fire,  but  household  work  and  the  birth  of  a  family  soon  cause 
these  attractions  to  disappear.  The  women  have,  moreover,  the 
most  deeply-rooted  dirty  habits.  A  thick  layer  of  mud  covers 
their  bodies,  which  are  nearly  always  smeared  with  seal  or  porpoise 
oil.    Both  sexes  are  capital  swimmers. 

There  is  little  difference  between  the  costume  worn  by  males 
and  females.  The  natives  know  how  to  weave  very  elegant 
textures  from  the  fibres  of  the  Phormium  tenax  (or  New  Zealand 
flax),  and  a  broad  mat  of  this  material  floats  carelessly  over  their 
shoulders  and  body,  while  another  is  wrapped  round  the  waist, 
descending  to  the  knee.  In  winter  they  throw  over  the  former 
garment  a  thick,  heavy  doak  generally  made  from  the  peelings - 
of  a  kind  of  osier,  but  which,  in  the  case  of  chiefs,  consists  of 
dogskins  sewn  together.  These  fiibiics  are  also  varied  in  design^ 
some  being  smooth  and  without  any  pattern,  while  others  are 


382  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

covered  with  veiy  delicate  ornamentation.  The  slave  girls  stick 
untlireshed  slips  of  tlie  Phormium  tenax  in  their  skirts,  thus 
giving  immoderate  fuhiess  to  their  bodies. 

A  wamor's  rank  and  bravery  are  denoted  by  a  great  number 
of  little  pins  made  of  bones  or  green  talc,  which  are  worn  across 
the  breast  at  the  edge  of  the  matting.  The  original  use  of  these 
articles  was  to  scratch  the  head  and  kill  the  insects  on  it. 

Like  all  the  other  races,  tlie  New  Zealanders  have  a  fancy  for 
personal  ornaments.  They  like  to  stick  plumes  in  their  hair,  and 
a  tuft  of  soft  white  feathers  is  thrust  into  the  ears.  Their 
unkemi)t  locks  are  seldom  covered  by  any  kind  of  head-dress; 
but  Lesson,  the  naturalist,  from  whom  we  derive  these  detailsy 
saw  a  few  young  girls  in  whom  a  coquettish  taste  was  more 
developed,  and  who  wore  gi'aceful  wreaths  of  green  moss. 

The  women  adorn  themselves  with  shell  necklaces,  from  which 
little  dried  hippocamps  are  sometimes  suspended.  They  are 
ver}'  fond  of  blue  glass  beads  of  European  make.  The  most 
precious  ornament  of  this  people,  however,  consists  of  a  green 
talc  fetish,  which  hangs  on  the  breast  attached  to  some  portion 
of  a  human  bone.  There  are  religious  ideas  connected  with  this 
amulet,  and  it  is  worn  by  men  only. 

One  of  tlie  Zealanders'  superstitions  is  to  fasten  a  shark^s 
sharp  tooth  to  one  of  their  ears,  with  the  point  of  which  the 
women  lacerate  their  bosoms  and  faces  when  they  happen  to  lose 
a  chief  or  one  of  their  relations.  The  greatest  value  attaches  to 
these  objects  when  they  have  been  handed  down  from  ancestors, 
and  have  become  "tabooed,"  or  sacred;  the  happiness  of  a 
native's  whole  existence  seems  bound  up  in  their  possession ;  yet 
they  are  rated  as  completely  worthless  w^hen  derived  from  a  slain 
enemy. 

Tattooing  plays  an  important  part  among  tlie  New  Zealanders, 
and  they  submit  annually  to  the  painful  operation  which  it 
requii'es.  This  marking  usually  covers  the  face  all  over,  and,  as  it 
is  renewed  very  often,  produces  deep  furrows  stamped  in  regular 
lings,  that  impaii;  the  oddest  expression  to  the  countenance. 
Circles,  one  within  the  other,  are  also  punctured  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  loins,  and  the  women  have  a  broad  zone  of  lozenge- 
shaped  figures  engraved  round  then*  waist.  Deep  black  lines  are 
cut  in  the  lips,  and  a  design  like  a  spear-head  is  traced  at  the 
angles  of  the  mouth  and  in  the  middle  of  the  chin.     The  young 


MALAY    BRANCH. 


176.— SBW    ZEALAND    CHIBF. 

men  draw  large  flies  on  their  noses,  Btaiuing  them  black,  and  the 
girls  sketch  simihtr  insects  in  blue.  None  but  slaves  and  persons 
of  the  lowest  class  are  withoat  tattooing  of  some  sort,  and  it  is 


384  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

considered  a  downright  disgrace  to  have  the  skin  in  its  natural 
state. 

In  a  region  subject  to  the  terrible  stonns  of  the  Southern 
Hemisphere,  the  dweUings  ought  to  be,  and  are  in  fact,  small 
and  low.  Villages  are  never  found  in  a  plain,  because  there  they 
might  be  surprised  and  pillaged,  but  are  situated  in  steep 
localities  difficult  of  access ;  the  huts  cannot  be  entered  except 
on  all  fom's ;  families  sheltered  by  them,  sleep  huddled  together 
on  the  straw  in  a  narrow  space ;  and  there  is  no  furniture  inside, 
beyond  a  few  carved  boxes,  and  some  red  wooden  vessels  thickly 
covered  with  designs. 

The  industry  for  which  these  islanders  are  chiefly  noted,  is  the 
manufacture  of  matting ;  we  have  ah-eady  alluded  to  the  beautiful 
materials  made  from  the  fibres  of  the  Phomnium  tenax  by  the 
women  and  girls. 

The  soil  of  New  Zealand  does  not,  like  that  of  Equatorial  Asia, 
furnish  a  large  supply  of  edible  substances.  The  basis  of  the 
inhabitants*  food  consists  of  the  root  of  a  fern  ti'ee,  resembling 
our  Pterin,  which  covers  all  the  plains.  The  natives  catch  a 
large  quantitj^  of  fish  in  the  bays  along  the  coast,  and  dry  or 
smoke  the  greater  i)ortion  of  it,  in  order  to  guard  against  famine 
in  time  of  war,  and  to  be  provided  with  sustenance  whenever  the 
fury  of  the  elements  makes  it  impossible  for  them  to  launch  their 
boats.  Em'opeans  have  introduced  several  vegetables  among 
them,  which  gi'ow  readily  in  the  easily  tilled  and  fertile  land. 

Their  cookery  is  as  simple  as  thek  food ;  they  drink  nothing 
but  piu'e  water,  and  hate  strong  liquors.  Their  victuals  are  laid 
on  the  ground,  and  each  one  eats  with  his  fingers ;  the  warriors, 
however,  sometimes  use  instruments,  made  of  human  bones,  and 
Lesson  bought  from  one  of  them  a  fom'-pronged  fork,  fashioned 
from  the  large  bone  of  a  man's  right  arm,  minutely  carved,  and 
adorned  with  many  raised  ornaments  in  mother-of-pearl. 

New  Zealand  canoes  are  remarkable  for  the  carving  which 
embellishes  them.  Most  of  these  boats  are  hollowed  from  the 
trunk  of  a  single  tree,  and  are  generally  about  forty  feet  long» 
Lesson  measured  a  specimen,  made  in  this  way  from  one  piece^ 
the  depth  of  which  was  three,  the  breadth  four,  and  the  length 
sixty  feet.  They  are  painted  red,  and  have  their  sides  festooned 
with  birds'  feathers.  The  stem  rises  to  a  height  of  about  four 
feet,  and  is  covered  with  allegorical  carvings ;  the  prow  exhibits  a 


MALAT  BRANCH.  885 

hideous  head,  with  mother-of-pearl  eyes  and  a  tongue  pro- 
truding i;6  an  inordinate  extent,  in  order  to  show  contempt 
for  an  enemy.  These  canoes  are  capable  of  holding  about 
forty  warriors.  The  oars  are  sharp  pointed,  and  can  be  used, 
in  case  of  need,  as  weapons  against  an  unforeseen  attack.  The 
sails  consist  of  reed  mats,  coarsely  woven,  and  triangular  in 
shape. 

Although  they  are  eminently  warlike,  the  New  Zealanders 
possess  no  great  variety  of  destructive  implements.  Arrows  are 
unused  by  them:  a  paton-paton,  or  tomahawk,  of  green  talc, 
which  is  fastened  to  the  wrist  by  a  strap  of  hide,  is  the  weapon 
above  all  others  with  which  they  smash  or  scalp  the  skull  of 
theii*  enemy.  They  rush  headlong  one  against  the  other,  and 
conquer  by  dint  of  sheer  weight  and  force.  The  badge  which 
betokens  a  priest's  functions  is  a  heavy  whalebone  stick,  covered 
with  carvings.  Their  tokis  are  hatchets,  also  made  of  talc,  with 
carefully  worked  handles  decorated  with  tufts  of  white  dog's  hair. 
A  great  many  of  their  clubs  are  of  extremely  hard  polished 
red  wood. 

In  latter  days  the  numerous  tribes  inhabiting  the  islands 
resorted  to  by  English  and  American  whalers,  receive  firearms  in 
exchange  for  the  fresh  provisions  with  which  they  supply  the 
European  vessels. 

The  chant  of  the  New  Zealanders  is  solemn  and  monotonous, 
made  up  of  hoarse,  drawling,  and  broken  notes.  It  is  always 
accompanied  by  movements  of  the  eyes  and  well-practised 
gestures  that  are  very  significant.  Most  of  those  chants  turn 
upon  licentious  subjects.  Their  dance  is  a  pantomime  in  which 
the  performers  seldom  move  from  one  place,  and  consists  of 
postures  and  motions  of  the  limbs,  executed  with  the  greatest 
precision.  Each  dance  has  an  allegorical  meaning,  and  is  appli- 
cable to  declarations  of  war,  human  sacrifices,  fimerals,  &c. 

The  only  musical  instrument  that  Lesson  saw  in  the  hands  of 
the  New  Zealanders  was  a  tastefully  worked  wooden  flute.  The 
language  of  these  tribes  is  harsh :  some  poems  of  high  antiquity 
have  been  transmitted  to  them  by  oral  tradition.  They  possess 
a  religion,  a  form  of  worship,  priests,  and  ceremonials.  Mar- 
riages are  made  by  purchase ;  a  chief  who  had  some  dealings  with 
the  crew  of  the  ship  to  which  Lesson  belonged,  had  bought  his 
wife  for  two  firelocks  and  a  male  slave. 

0  0 


386  THE  BROWN   RACE. 

The  friendship  which  the  aborigines  of  the  same  tribe  entertain 
for  each  other  is  very  warm,  and  Lesson  has  depicted  for  us  the 
strange  manner  in  which  they  evince  it.  When  one  of  them 
came  on  board,  and  met  there  an  intimate  whom  he  had  not  seen 
for  some  time,  he  went  up  to  him  in  solemn  silence,  applied  the 
end  of  his  own  nose  against  that  of  his  friend's,  and  remained  in 
that  attitude  for  half  an  hour,  muttering  some  confused  sen- 
tences in  a  doleful  tone.  They  then  separated,  and  remained 
for  the  rest  of  the  time  like  two  men  utter  strangers  to  each 
other.  A  similar  formality  was  obsen^ed  by  the  women  among 
themselves. 

No  race  cherishes  the  desire  of  avenging  an  insult  longer  than 
that  of  which  we  are  sketching  an  account ;  consequently,  eternal 
hatreds  and  frequent  wars  desolate  their  islands. 

The  loss  of  a  cliief  is  deeply  felt  by  tlie  whole  tribe.  The  funeral 
obsequies  last  for  several  days :  should  the  deceased  be  of  high 
rank,  captives  are  sacrificed  who  will  have  to  attend  him  in  the 
other  world,  and  the  women,  girls,  and  female  slaves  tear  their 
bosoms  and  faces  with  sharp  sharks*  teeth.  Each  tribe  forms  a 
sort  of  republic.  The  districts  are  ruled  by  a  chief  who  has  a 
special  kind  of  tattooing,  and  who  is  the  most  generally  esteemed 
for  bravery,  intrepidity,  and  prudence. 

Lesson  declares  that  the  New  Zea landers  are  openly  and  cyni- 
cally cannibals ;  that  they  relish  witli  extreme  satisfaction  the 
palpitating  flesh  of  enemies  who  have  fallen  at  their  hands,  and 
regard  as  a  festival  the  day  on  which  they  can  gorge  themselves 
with  human  flesh.  A  cliief  ex2)ressed  to  Lesson  the  pleasure 
which  h6  experienced  in  eating  it,  and  indicated  the  brain  as 
being  tlie  most  delicate  morsel,  and  the  buttock  as  the  most 
substantial. 

After  a  \dctory  the  bodies  of  the  chiefs  who  have  been  killed  in 
the  fight  are  prepared  for  serving  uji  at  this  horrible  banquet. 
The  head  belongs  to  the  victor,  the  fleshy  paints  ai'e  eaten  by  the 
men  of  the  tribe,  and  the  bones  are  distributed  among  them  to 
be  made  tools  of.  Common  warriors  are  scalped,  chopped  into 
pieces,  roasted,  and  devoured.  Their  heads,  if  they  had  any 
reputation,  are  sold  to  the  Europeans  in  exchange  for  a  httle 
powder. 

A  chief's  head  is  preserved.  If  the  victorious  clan  wishes  to 
make  peace  it  sends  this  trophy  to  the  defeated  tribe.     In  case 


1CALA.Y  BRANCH.  887 

the  latter  raises  loud  shouts,  a  reconciliation  will  take  place,  but 
should  it  preserve  a  gloomy  silence,  it  is  a  sign  that  preparations 
are  being  made  to  avenge  the  chief's  death,  and  hostilities  are 
recommenced.  When  a  tribe  has  regained  the  head  of  its  chief 
it  preserves  it  religiously  and  venerates  it ;  or  else,  knowing  that 
it  will  bring  a  respectable  sum,  sells  it  to  the  Europeans. 

M.  Hochstetter  during  a  recent  voyage  visited  these  same 
islanders.  A  chief  of  Ohinemuta,  named  "  Pini-te-Kore-Kore  " 
came  to  see  the  travellers.  He  was  attired  in  European  fashion, 
wore  a  cloak  and  straw  hat,  and  carried  a  white  banner  which 
bore  in  blue  letters  the  inscription,  ''Sancta  Maria,  ora  pro 
nobis."  He  was  a  Christianized  chief,  and  modified  as  to  exterior 
appearance.  He  had  been  brought  up  at  the  missionary  school, 
was  about  tliirty  years  of  age,  and  tattooed  only  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  face.  He  had  acquii*ed  much  fi*om  his  French 
masters  both  in  manner  and  demeanour,  and  being  extremely 
communicative  gave  M.  Hochstetter  some  curious  particulars 
about  the  horrible  wars  to  which  his  forefathers  had  devoted 
themselves. 

For  the  last  thirty  years  the  conflicts  have  not  been  carried  on 
as  they  were  formerly,  that  is  to  say,  they  consist  no  longer  in  a 
series  of  duels,  as  it  were,  but  of  musketry  firing  kept  up  by 
bodies  of  troops,  from  a  distance,  in  the  European  style. 

The  traveller  had  occasion  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Maori  king 
*'Potateau-te-Whero-Whero,"  before  the  door  of  whose  dwelling 
was  posted  a  solitary  sentinel  clad  in  a  blue  imiform  cloak  with 
red  facings  and  brass  buttons,  forming  the  whole  guard  of  the 
palace.  About  twenty  persons  were  assembled  in  a  hut,  where 
his  Majesty,  who  was  blind  and  bent  double,  sate  upon  a  straw 
mat.  His  face,  though  overloaded  with  tattooings,  was  fine 
and  regular,  and  a  deep  scar  on  his  forehead  bespoke  him  as  a 
warrior  who  had  taken  part  in  severe  battles.  He  was  wrapped 
in  a  blanket  of  a  dark  brown  colour.  Like  Homer*s  Nausicaa, 
the  daughters  of  this  supreme  chief  of  a  proud  and  warlike  race 
were  engaged  in  washing.  His  son,  seated  near  him,  was  a  young 
man  with  black  and  sparkling  eyes. 

The  Maori  tribes  had  risen  in  rebellion  a  few  years  previously, 

with  a  desire  of  founding  a  national  govermnent  as  soon  as  they 

had  recovered  their  independence.  But  the  natives  were  overoome 

0  0  2 


388  THE   BBOWN    RACK 

after  much  bloodshed,  and  fell  again  under   the  yoke  of  their 
former  ruler.  "* 

Tongas. — The  inhabitants  of  the  Tonga  or  Friendly  Islands 
resemble  Europeans,  but  their  physiognomy  presents  such  varied 
expressions  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  reduce  them  to  a 
characteristic  tj^e.  At  the  first  glance  flatness  of  the  nose  seems 
a  distinguishing  mark  of  their  race,  but  according  as  we  examine 
a  large  nimiber  of  individuals  we  find  the  different  shapes  of  that 
organ  grow  more  numerous.  It  is  the  same  witli  the  lips,  which 
are  sometimes  fleshy  and  sometimes  thin.  The  hair  is  black; 
but  brown  and  light  chestnut  are  also  to  be  met  with.  The 
colour  of  the  complexion  is  equally  changeable.  Women  and 
girls  of  the  better  classes  who  avoid  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  but 
little  coloured ;  the  others  are  more  or  less  dark. 

The  population  of  these  islands  has  been  carefully  described  by 
Dumont  d'Urville  in  an  account  of  the  voyage  which  he  made  in 
command  of  the  Astrolabe,  during  the  years  1826,  1827,  1828, 
and  1829. 

**  The  natives  of  the  Tonga  Islands,"  he  says,  **  are  in  general 
tall,  well-made,  and  of  good  propoilions.  Their  coimtenances 
are  agreeable  and  present  a  variety  of  features  that  may  be 
compared  with  those  obseiTable  in  Europe.  Many  have  aquiline 
noses  and  rather  thin  lips,  wliile  the  hair  of  nearly  all  is  smooth. 
Finally,  tlie  colour  of  theii*  skin  is  only  slightly  dark,  especially 
among  the  chiefs.  Women  may  be  seen  whose  tall  stature,  stately 
step,  and  perfect  forms  are  united  to  the  most  delicate  features 
and  a  neai'ly  white  or  merely  dusky  complexion." 

Cook  and  Forster  had  previously  affirmed  that  the  women  of 
the  Tonga  Islands  might  serve  as  models  for  an  artist. 

In  their  first  dealings  ^vith  Europeans  these  aborigines  displayed 
themselves  in  the  most  favourable  light.  Tasman,  Cook,  Maurelle, 
and  Wilson  bore  witness  to  their  gentleness,  politeness,  and 
hospitahty ;  Cook  even  gave  the  name  of  "  Friendly "  to  their 
islands.  The  crew  of  the  Astrolabe  was  at  first  led  astray  by 
these  appearances  ;  but  the  natives  gave  many  and  repeated  proo& 
that  at  the  very  moment  when  they  were  overpowering  the 
navigators  with  caresses  and  mai-ks  of  friendship,  they  were 
meditating  how  to  attack  and  plunder  them. 

These  men  are  also  endowed  with  a  force  of  character  and 


MALAY   BRAJ^CH.  389 

energy  by  no  means  common.  Their  bravery  often  approaches 
the  most  reckless  temerity,  and  they  do  not  recoil  an  inch  from 
the  greatest  danger.  They  possess,  nevertheless,  a  general  tone 
of  suavity  and  courtesy,  and  a  natural  ease  of  manner,  which  no 
one  would  in  the  least  expect  to  find  among  a  people  verging  so 
closely  upon  the  savage  state.  Their  intelligence  is  more  deve- 
loped than  that  of  the  Tahitians.  They  treat  their  wives  with 
kindness,  have  great  love  for  their  childi'en,  and  profess  deep 
respect  for  old  age. 

They  make  canoes  which  are  remarkable  for  their  propor- 
tions and  the  elegance  and  finish  of  their  handiwork ;  carve 
whales*  teeth  for  necklaces,  and  incrust  their  various  instruments 
witli  the  same  material ;  know  how  to  construct  houses,  as 
w^ell  as  stone  vaults  for  the  biurial  of  their  chiefs ;  and  trace 
delicate  chasings  on  their  clubs  with  a  sharpened  nail  fastened  in 
a  handle.  The  cuUnary  art  lias  advanced  to  a  higher  degree 
among  them  than  among  any  other  of  the  Pol^Tiesian  islanders. 
They  prepare  from  thiii:y  to  forty  different  dishes,  consisting  of 
pork,  turtle,  fowl,  fish,  bread-fruits,  bananas,  cocoa-nuts,  &c., 
mixed  according  to  certain  processes,  and  dressed  in  different 
methods.  The  peasants  till  the  land  by  means  of  stakes  flattened 
and  sharpened  at  the  extremity,  and  furnished  a  little  way  from 
the  end  with  a  stirrup  for  supporting  the  foot. 

Tlie  manufacture  of  cloth,  mats,  and  reed  baskets  is  the  special 
occupation  of  the  women.  In  order  to  make  the  cloth  in  most 
common  use,  they  take  a  certain  quantity  of  the  inner  bark  of  the 
paper-mulberry  tree  properly  prepared,  beat  it  flat,  stain  it  with 
difterent  vegetable  colours,  and  print  patterns  of  all  kinds  upon  it. 
Mats  of  the  finest  quality  are  woven  from  leaves  of  the  Pandanus ; 
others,  stronger,  are  made  from  the  bark  of  a  kmd  of  banana- 
tree  ;  those  resembling  horsehair  are  worn  by  the  common 
people  in  the  canoes  to  protect  them  against  wet.  Mattings  of 
other  descriptions,  ornamented  in  different  patterns,  and  formed 
from  the  young  leaves  of  the  cocoa-tree,  are  used  to  preserve  the 
walls  of  their  buildings  against  the  inclemencies  of  the  weather. 

Women  of  a  certain  rank  amuse  themselves  by  making  combs, 
the  teeth  of  which  are  formed  from  the  ribs  of  cocoa-leaves.  The 
manufacture  of  thread  appertains  to  females  of  the  lower  classes, 
and  the  material  for  it  is  extracted  from  the  bark  of  the  banana- 
tree. 


390  THE   BBOWN   BACE. 

These  islanders  tattoo  their  bodies  in  various  places,  especially 
the  lower  part  of  the  stomach  and  the  thighs,  with  designs  which 
are  really  elegant  and  present  a  vast  variety  of  patterns,  but  they 
leave  the  skin  in  its  natural  state.  Their  tattooing  never  exhibits 
deep  incisions  and  does  not  seem  to  be  a  sign  of  distinction  or  of 
warlike  prowess.  The  women  only  tattoo  the  palms  of  their 
hands. 

Their  houses  are  neatly  and  solidly  built ;  the  master  and 
mistress  sleep  in  a  division  apart,  while  the  other  members  of 
the  family  lie  upon  the  floor  without  having  any  fixed  place. 
The  beds  and  theii*  covering  are  composed  of  matting. 

The  clothing  of  the  men,  like  tliat  of  the  women,  consists  of  a 
piece  of  cloth  six  feet  square,  which  envelopes  the  body  in  such  a 
way  as  to  make  a  turn  and  a  half  roimd  the  loins,  where  it  is 
confined  by  a  belt.  Common  people  are  satisfied  with  wearing 
an  apron  of  foliage,  or  a  bit  of  naiTow  stuff  like  a  girdle. 

The  natives  of  the  Friendly  Islands  bathe  every  day.  Their 
skin,  besides,  is  constantly  saturated  with  perfumed  cocoa-nut 
oil.  ^Vhen  preparing  themselves  for  a  religious  feast,  a  general 
dance,  or  a  visit  to  the  residence  of  a  personage  of  high  rank, 
they  cover  tliemselves  with  oil  in  such  profusion  that  it  drips 
firom  their  haii\ 

The  ornaments  of  both  sexes  consist  of  necklaces  composed  of 
tlie  red  fruit  of  the  Pandanus,  or  fragrant  flowers.  Some  of  them 
hang  from  their  necks  little  shells,  birds'  bones,  sharks'  teeth, 
and  pieces  of  caiTed  and  polished  whalebone  or  of  mother-of- 
pearl,  and  high  up  on  the  ai'm  they  wear  bracelets  of  the  last 
material  or  of  shells.  They  have  also  mother-of-pearl  or  tortoise- 
shell  rings,  and  hanker  greatly  after  glass  beads,  especially  those 
of  a  blue  colour.  The  lobe  of  their  ears  is  pierced  by  large  holes 
for  the  reception  of  small  wooden  cyUnders  about  three  inches 
in  length,  or  of  little  reeds  filled  with  a  yellow  powder  used  by  the 
women  as  paint. 

They  have  flutes  and  tom-toms  for  beating  time.  The  most 
ordinary  form  of  the  former  instrument  is  a  piece  of  bamboo 
closed  at  both  ends  and  pierced  by  six  holes,  into  which  they 
blow  with  the  right  nostril  while  the  left  is  stopped  with  ^e 
thumb. 

Their  chants  are  a  kind  of  recitative  which  has  for  its  subject 
some  more  or  less  remarkable  event;  or  else  consist  of  words 


MALA.T  BRANCH.  301 

intended   to    accompany   different   descriptions    of  dances   or 
ceremonies. 

The  inhabitants  of  these  islands  recognize  a  host  of  divinities, 
who  possess  among  themselves  various  degrees  of  preeminence. 
Of  these  gods,  those  of  elevated  rank  can  dispense  good  or  evil 
in  proportion  to  their  relative  powers.  According  to  the  natives' 
notion  the  origin  of  these  divine  beings  is  beyond  the  intelligence 
of  man,  and  their  existence  is  eternal. 

"  Taboo  "  reigns  as  despotically  in  these  islands  as  it  does  in 
New  Zealand. 

There  is  a  barbarous  ceremony  in  use  here>  by  which  a  child 
is  strangled  as  an  offering  to  the  gods  and  to  gain  from  them  the 
cure  of  a  sick  relation ;  the  same  rite  also  takes  place  when  a 
chief  inadvertently  commits  a  sacrilege  which  might  draw  down 
the  anger  of  the  divinities  upon  the  whole  nation. 

In  other  cases,  they  cut  off  a  joint  of  the  little  finger  in  order 
to  obtain  the  recovery  of  a  parent  who  is  ill,  and  consequently 
crowds  of  people  may  be  seen  who  have  lost  in  succession  the 
two  joints  of  the  fourth  finger  of  each  hand,  and  even  the  first 
joint  of  the  next. 

Charms  and  signs  occupy  a  prominent  place  in  the  religion  of 
this  people.  Dreams  are  warnings  from  the  divinity;  thunder  and 
lightning  are  indications  of  war  or  of  some  great  catastrophe. 

Sneezing  is  an  act  of  the  worst  possible  omen.  A  chief  was 
near  clubbing  to  death  a  traveller  who  had  sneezed  in  his  presence 
at  the  moment  when  the  native  was  going  to  fulfil  his  duties  at 
his  father's  tomb. 

Tahitians. — Tahiti  and  the  whole  group  of  the  Society  Islands 
are  almost  exclusively  inhabited  by  the  same  branch  of  the 
Malaysio-Polynesian  race.  The  people  of  these  islands  have 
become  celebrated  in  France  by  the  charming  and  interesting 
accounts  of  their  manners  apd  habits,  which  have  been  pub- 
lished by  Bougainville.  We  have  taken  the  details  which  follow 
from  Lesson,  tiie  naturalist,  who  made  a  somewhat  lengthened 
stay  in  this  island. 

llie  natives  of  Tahiti  are  all,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  vezy 
fine  men.  Their  limbs  are  at  once  vigorous  and  graceful,  the 
muscular  projections  being  eveiywhere  enveloped  by  a  thick 
cellular  tissue,  which  roundB  away  any  too  prominent  develop- 


392  THE   BROWN   RACE. 

ment  of  their  frames.  Their  countenances  are  marked  by  great 
sweetness,  and  an  appearance  of  good  nature ;  their  heads  would 
be  of  the  European  type  but  for  the  flatness  of  the  nostrils,  and 
the  too  great  size  of  the  lips ;  their  hair  is  black  and  thick, 
and  their  skin  of  light  copper-colour  and  very  varying  in 
intensity  of  hue.  It  is  smooth  and  soft  to  the  touch,  but  emits  a 
strong,  heav}'  smell,  attributable,  in  a  great  measure,  to  incessant 
rubbings  with  cocoa-nut  oil.  Their  step  wants  confidence,  and 
they  become  easily  fatigued.  Dwelling  on  a  soil  where  alimen- 
tary products,  once  abundantly  sown,  harvest  themselves  without 
labour  or  effort,  the  Tahitians  have  preserved  soft  eflTeminate 
manners,  and  a  certain  childishness  in  their  ideas. 

The  seductive  attractions  of  Tahitian  women  have  been  very 
chaimingly  painted  by  Bougainville,  Wallis,  and  Cook,  but 
Lesson  assm-es  us,  on  the  contrary,  that  they  are  extremely 
ugly,  and  that  a  person  would  hardly  find  in  the  w^hole  island 
thirty  passable  faces,  according  to  our  ideas  of  beauty.  He  adds, 
that  after  early  youth  all  the  females  become  disgusting,  by 
reason  of  a  general  flabbiness,  which  is  all  the  greater  because 
it  usually  succeeds  considerable  stoutness.  There  is  room  for 
believing  that  the  good  looks  of  the  race  have  deteriorated  in 
consequence  of  contagious  diseases  since  the  first  European 
navigators  landed  in  this  island,  a  very  fortunate  one  in 
the  magnificence  of  its  vegetation  and  the  mildness  of  its 
temperature. 

Tahitian  girls  before  marriage  have  full  legs,  small  hands, 
large  mouths,  flattened  nostrils,  prominent  cheek-bones  and 
fleshy  lips ;  theii'  teeth  are  of  the  finest  enamel,  and  their 
well-shaped  prominent  eyes,  shaded  by  long,  fringed  lashes, 
and  sheltered  by  broad  black  eyebrows,  beam  with  anima- 
tion and  fire.  Too  early  marriage  and  suckling,  however, 
very  soon  destroy  any  charms  which  they  may  possess. 
Their  skin  is  usually  of  a  light  copper-colour,  but  some  are 
remarkable  for  their  whiteness,  pailicularly  the  wives  of  the 
chiefs. 

Family  ties  are  very  strong  among  the  Tahitians.  They  have 
great  love  for  tlieir  children,  speak  to  them  with  gentleness, 
never  stiike  them,  and  taste  nothing  pleasing  without  oflFering 
them  some  of  it. 

The  women  manufacture  cloth,  weave  mats  or  straw  hats,  and 


UALAT  BRANCH.  MS 

take  Cttre  of  the  honse.  The  men  build  the  hats,  hollow  canoeB, 
plant  trees,  gather  frnits,  and  cook  the  victuals  in  ondergroand 
ovens.  Essentially  indolent,  the  Tahitians  generally  go  to  bed 
at  twilight. 

All  the  members  of  the  family  live  haddled  together  in  the 
same  room,  on  mats  spread  apoa  the  ground ;  chiefs,  alone,  re- 


177. — NATIVX 


posing  upon  similar  textures  stretched  on  frames.  The  siesta  is 
also  one  of  their  habits,  and  they  invariably  sleep  for  three  hoars 
after  noon. 

Flesh-meat,  fimits,  and  roots  constitute  their  nsnal  sustenance; 
but  the  basis  of  their  food  is  the  fruit  of  the  bread-tree.  They 
venerate  the  cocoa-tree. 

Their  ordinary  drink  is  pure  water.  They  have  an  unrestrained 
fancy  for  European  garments,  and  seek  by  every  imaginable  meani 
to  get  themselves  coats,  hats,  silk  eravats,  and  especiaUy  shirts. 
Bat  as  they  do  not  possess  snfficient  of  our  ouuiu&otareB  to 


394  THE   BROWN   RACE. 

dress  themselves  completely  in  our  style,  they  frequently  exhibit 
a  sort  of  motley  attire.  The  women  when  within-doors  are  almost 
naked ;  some  pieces  of  cloth,  skilfully  arranged  and  half-covering 
their  bosoms,  form  a  kind  of  tunic,  while  their  feet  are  bare.  They 
have  a  great  liking  for  c^aplets  of  flowers,  and  bright  blossoms  of 
the  Hibiscus  Rosa  sinensis,  or  China  rose,  adorn  their  foreheads. 
They  pass  through  the  lobe  of  their  ears  the  long  tube  of  the 
white  and  perfumed  corolla  of  the  gardenia,  and  protect  their  faces 
from  the  fiery  rays  of  the  sun  with  small  leaves  of  the  cocoa-tree. 

The  chief  employment  of  the  Tahitians  is  the  manufacture  of 
cloth.  By  very  simple  means  they  form  fabrics  from  various 
barks,  with  which  they  clothe  themselves  in  a  manner  as 
ingenious  as  it  is  comfortable.  The  paper-mulberry  tree,  the 
bread-tree,  the  Hibiscus  tiliaceus,  &c.,  are  the  plants  of  which  they 
generally  use  the  inner  bark.  They  dye  these  stufls  with  the  red 
juice  extracted  from  the  fruit  of  a  species  of  fig-tree,  or  in  canary- 
yellow. 

Their  garments  are  not  the  only  things  which  these  people 
embellish  in  brilliant  colours  and  with  difi*erent  patterns.  They 
have  a  passionate  love  for  tattooing,  but,  nevertheless,  do  not  bear 
a  single  device  on  their  faces.  The  parts  on  which  they  trace 
indelible  marks  are  the  legs,  aims,  thighs  and  breast.  Every- 
thing leads  to  the  conclusion  that  tattooing,  which  is  forbidden  by 
the  missionaries  under  the  severest  penalties,  was,  and  is  doubtless 
still,  the  symbol  of  each  individuaFs  functions  and  the  emblazon- 
ment of  the  armorial  bearings  of  families,  for  its  designs  are 
always  varied. 

The  Tahitians  of  former  days  consti'ucted  canoes  ornamented 
with  very  carefully  executed  emblematic  canings,  but  since  iron 
tools  have  taken  the  j^lace  of  their  imperfect  implements,  tliey  do 
not  give  signs  of  the  same  pains  in  adorning  their  workmanship. 
Their  ancient  weapons  are  also  greatly  neglected  since  they  have 
acquired  firearms.  Heretofore,  they  had  long  spears  with  pointed 
ends,  slings  formed  from  the  husk  of  the  cocoa-nut,  basalt  axes 
of  perfect  shape,  and  files  made  out  of  the  rasp-like  skin  of  a 
skate. 

They  have  a  passionate  love  for  dancing.  The  instrument 
they  use  for  beating  the  measure  is  a  drum,  the  cylinder  of  which 
consists  of  a  trunk  of  a  tree  scooped  very  thin.  The  dog-skins 
which   constitute   the   drum-head  are   stretched  by   ribbons   of 


MALA.Y  BRANCH.  305 

bark.  They  blow  with  the  nose  into  a  little  reed  Ante  haviog 
three  holes  at  its  open  end,  and  one  only  at  that  which  is  fur- 
nished with  a  diaphragm,  and  produce  deep,  monotonous  tones 
from  it. 

The  Tahitians  are  hospitable,  and  display  great  civility  in 
guidiDg  travellers  in  the  middle  of  the  woods,  and  in  their 
mountains.  Christianity  has  modified  their  habits  a  little.  They 
attend  the  Protestant  churches  because  they  are  obliged  to  do  so, 
but  they  have  little  religion.  Among  themselves  property  is 
sacred ;  that  of  strangers  is,  however,  eagerly  coveted. 

We  cannot  dwell  here  upon  the  sanguinary  human  sacrifices 
which  their  priests  formerly  commanded  the  natives  of  this  isknd 
to  offer  up,  nor  upon  their  coarse  mythology.  The  English 
missionaries  of  the  Beformed  Church  have  long  since  caused  &ese 
fiendish  customs  to  disappear. 

Pomototians. — The  Pomotouans,  who  inhabit  the  low,  flat 
islands  known  to  geographers  and  mariners  by  the  name  of  the 
Dangerous  Archipelago,  are  constituted  in  a  physical  point  of  view 
like  the  Tahitians,  to  whom  they  bear  a  close  resemblance,  but 
they  do  not  possess  the  benevolent  character  nor  the  affectionate 
manners  of  the  latter.  Their  look  is  fierce,  and  the  play  of  the 
features  savage.  They  cover  their  bodies  and  faces  with  tattooing, 
the  figures  of  which  consist  of  lozenges  and  numerous  circles,  and 
their  nakedness  seems  quite  to  disappear  beneath  the  mass  of 
these  designs.  As  the  islands  they  inhabit  are  poor  in  alimentary 
productions,  they  only  think  of  repelling  by  force  any  navigators 
who  attempt  to  enter  into  communication  with  them.  Deriving 
as  they  do  their  daily  sustenance  from  the  sea,  they  are  daring 
sailors  and  skilful  fishermen.  They  form,  from  a  very  hard  wood, 
javelins  that  are  somtimes  fifteen  feet  long,  and  ornament  them 
with  carvings  executed  with  much  taste ;  their  paddles  are  also 
engraved  in  very  graceful  patterns,  as  well  as  their  axes,  which 
are  cut  with  coral.  The  women  wear  on  their  throats  pieces  of 
mother-of-pearl,  which  are  shaped  roimd  and  notched  at  the  edges, 
making  brilliant  and  elegant  necklaces*.  Our  spirituous  liquors 
are  frantically  sought  after  by  the  natives. 

Marquesana. — The  aborigines  of  the  Marquesas  are  closely 
allied  to  those  of  the  Society  Islands,  having  sinular  features  and 


396  THE   BROWN   RACE. 

a  colour  which  presents  like  varieties.  Cook  affirmed  that  they 
excelled  perhaps  all  the  other  races  in  the  nobleness  and  elegance 
of  their  forms,  and  the  regularity  of  their  lineaments.  The  men  are 
tattooed  from  head  to  foot  and  appear  very  brown,  but  the  women, 
who  are  only  lightly  marked,  the  children,  and  the  young  people, 
who  are  not  so  at  all,  have  skins  as  white  as  many  Europeans. 
The  men  are  in  general  tall,  and  wear  the  beard  long  and  arranged 
in  different  ways.  Their  garments  are  identical  with  those  of  the 
Tahitians,  and  made  from  stuffs  of  the  same  materials. 

Sandivichians, — The  colour  of  this  people  is  that  of  Siena  clay, 
slightly  mixed  with  yellow.  Their  hair  would  be  magnificent  if 
they  allowed  it  to  grow,  for  it  is  as  black  and  shining  as  jet. 
Their  manners  are  pleasing.  They  usually  shave  the  sides  of  the 
head,  allowing  a  tuft  to  grow  on  the  top,  which  extends  down  to 
the  nape  of  the  neck  in  the  form  of  a  mane.  Some,  however, 
preserve  theii*  hair  entire,  and  let  it  float  in  very  graceftilly  twisted 
locks  about  their  shoulders.  Their  eyes  are  lively  and  full  of  ex- 
pression ;  their  nose  slightly  flat  and  often  aquiline ;  their  mouth 
and  lips  moderately  large.  They  have  splendid  teeth,  and  it  is 
consequently  a  great  pity  when  they  extract  a  few  on  the  death  of 
a  friend  or  benefactor.  Their  chests  are  broad,  but  their  arms 
show  little  muscle,  while  the  thighs  and  legs  are  sinewy  enough, 
and  their  feet  and  hands  excessively  small.  They  all  tattoo  their 
bodies  or  one  of  their  limbs  with  designs  representing  birds, 
fans,  chequer-work,  and  circles  of  different  diameters.  The  same 
superstition  that  deprives  them  of  their  teeth  at  tlie  death  of  a 
relation  or  of  a  friend  also  imposes  upon  them  the  obligation  of 
cauterizing  eveiy  part  of  their  bodies  with  a  red-hot  iron. 

The  women  are  not  so  well-made  as  the  men,  and  their  stature 
is  small  rather  than  tall,  but  their  ample  shoulders,  and  the 
smallness  of  their  hands  and  feet,  are  generally  admired.  They 
have  a  great  love  for  coronets  of  green  leaves.  Princesses  and 
ladies  of  high  rank  have  reserved  to  themselves  the  exclusive 
right  of  wearing  flowers  of  vacci  passed  through  a  reed.  Hardly 
any  of  them  use  more  than  one  earring,  but  they  have  a  passion 
for  necklaces,  and  make  them  of  flowers  and  fruits. 

These  details  are  derived  from  Jacques  Arago,  who  published 
under  the  title,  **  Voyage  autour  du  Monde,''  an  account  of  the 
long  and  remarkable  journey  which  he  made  in  1817,  and  the  three 


1CALA.Y  BRANCH.  887 

following  years,  on  board  the  French  correttesy  Wranie  and  La 
Physieienne,  commanded  by  Freycinet. 

In  a  letter  dated  from  Owhyhee,  as  was  also  that  from  which 
the  preceding  information  has  been  taken,  the  same  traveller  gives 
us  the  following  sketch  of  the  ''  palace  "  of  the  Sovereign  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  as  well  as  of  its  occupants. 

It  was  a  miserable  thatch  hut,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in 
breadth,  and  about  five-and-twenty  or  thirty  feet  long,  with  no 
means  of  entrance  but  a  low,  narrow  door.  A  few  mats  were 
spread  within,  on  which  some  half-naked  colossi— generals  and 
ministers— were  lying.  Two  chairs  were  visible,  destined  on 
ceremonial  days  for  a  huge,  greasy,  dirty,  heavy,  haughty  man — 
the  king.  The  queen,  but  half-dresaed,  was  a  prey  to  the  itch 
and  other  disgusting  maladies.  This  tasteful  and  imposing 
interior  was  protected  by  walls  of  cocoa  leaves  and  a  sea-weed 
roof,  feeble  obstacles  to  the  wind  and  rain. 

M.  de  la  Salle  in  his  account  of  the  voyage  of  the  Bonite  (1886 
and  1837),  states  that  the  natives  of  the  Sandwich  Islands 
generally  possess  good  constitutions ;  that  their  slender  and  well- 
formed  figures  are  usually  above  middle  height,  but  far  from 
equalling  that  of  the  chiefs -and  their  wives,  who  seem  from  their 
tall  stature  and  excessive  corpulence  to  have  a  different  origin 
from  the  common  people.  These  exalted  personages  appear  in 
fact  to  be  descended  from  a  race  of  conquerors,  who,  having 
subjugated  the  country,  established  there  the  feudal  system  by 
which  it  is  still  oppressed.  The  same  author  adds  that  the 
Sandwichians  have  mild,  patient  dispositions,  are  dexterous  and 
intelligent,  and  capable  of  bearing  fatigue  with  ease. 

Such  is  the  state  of  misery  in  which  the  lower  classes  live,  that 
the  unfortunate  wretches  have  scarcely  what  will  keep  them  from 
dying  of  starvation.  This  distress  is  not  the  result  of  idleness 
alone;  the  ever  increasing  exactions  of  the  chiefs  harass  and 
discourage  the  labourer. 

The  voyagers  in  the  BonUe  when  drawing  near  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  could  thiok  of  nothing  but  the  pictures  of  them  which 
Captain  Cook  has  left  us ;  of  those  wild,  energetic,  kind,  simple 
men ;  those  warriors  in  mantles  of  feathers ;  those  women  full  of 
grace  and  voluptuousness ;  of  whom  the  English  explofrer  has 
given  the  most  alloiing  desoriptioiis.    They  were  first  pleased  by 


398  THE   BKOWN    EACE. 

the  neat  and  elegant  shapes  of  the  canoee  as  well  as  hj  the 
expertness  of  the  awinunerB.  They  beheld  the  islanders  as  naked 
as  in  the  days  of  Cook,  without  any  other  attire  than  the  tradi- 
tional "maro;"  but  these  men  didnotnowcome,  by  way  of  salute, 
to  crush  their  noses  against  those  of  their  visitors ;  they  were 


profuse  of  handshaking  all  round,  in  the  English  fasJiion,  and 
nfTected  the  airs  of  gentlemen.  Bananas,  potatoes,  and  other  fresh 
prorisiona  had  been  brought  on  board  by  Oiem,  but  when,  as  in 
olden  times,  they  were  oifered  necklaces,  bracelets,  and  ear-rings, 
the  savages  no  longer  showed  the  genuine  admiration  and  fierce 
eagerness  which  were  looked  for  from  them.  After  a  disdainful 
glance  thrown  at  the  beads,  they  asked  for  clothes  and  iron. 
These  men  had  ceased  to  be  the  artless  islanders  of  the  time  of 
Captain  Cook ! 

One  of  the  officers  of  the  Bon'ite,  M.  Vaillant,  was  invited  to 


1CALA.T  BRANCH.  9M 

come  on  shore  by  a  district  chief,  named  Kapis-Lani,  who 
happened  to  be  a  woman.  Her  toilet  did  not  in  the  least 
resemble  that  of  the  natives,  consisting  of  a  white  muslin  robe 
confined  at  the  waist  by  a  long  blue  riband,  a  silk  kerchief  rolled 
about  her  neck,  and  a  head-dress  of  hair  fastened  by  two  horn 
combs. 

The  former  customs  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Sandwich  Islands 
have  been  completely  modified,  from  every  point  of  view,  by  the 
English  missionaries,  who,  in  order  to  gain  their  object  have 
availed  themselves  of  the  weapon  heretofore  so  powerful  in  the 
hands  of  priests  and  of  kings, — "taboo." 

Formerly,  when  a  ship  arrived,  a  multitude  of  women  used  to 
come  to  take  it  by  assault,  either  in  canoes  or  swimming, 
contending  among  themselves,  per  fas  et  nefas,  for  the  bounties 
of  the  strangers :  the  missionaries  declared  the  sea  "  tabooed  " 
for  the  softer  sex. 

In  order  to  restrain  the  laxity  of  morals,  wives  were  proclaimed 
"  tabooed  "  for  everj^one  except  their  husbands,  and  unmarried 
girls  "  tabooed  "  for  all.  It  was  necessary  to  proscribe  the 
passion  for  strong  drinks,  and  consequently  brandy,  wine,  and 

other  liquors  were  struck  with  the  same  interdiction. 

* 

We  should  add  that  these  reformers  did  not  limit  themselves 
to  the  moral  authority  of  "  taboo,"  but  supported  it  by  the  stick 
and  hard  labour  on  the  roads. 

By  such  means  they  have  succeeded  in  altering  the  external 
and  public  behaviour  of  the  natives,  but  not  in  uprooting  vice 
among  them. 

We  shall  borrow  a  few  features  firom  the  picture  which  M. 
Yaillant  has  sketched  of  his  walk  in  a  village  of  Hawaii. 

Scarcely  had  he  arrived  when  he  heard  himself  called  from  the 
interior  of  a  large  cabin  in  which  were  assembled  about  thirty 
persons,  who  invited  him  to  enter. 

The  dwelling  was  built  of  straw,  and  along  its  walls  calabashes, 
cocoa-nuts,  and  a  few  fishing  utensils  were  to  be  seen  hanging  in 
confusion. 

A  single  apartment  usually  answered  all  purposes,  but  it  was 
separated  into  two  parts.  Some  mats  spread  upon  the  ground  at 
one  side  indicated  where  the  occnpants  slept;  the  ground  oppo- 
site was  bare,  and  in  the  latter  division  the  hearth  was  placed. 


400  THE    BROWN    RACE. 

The  officer  seated  himself  on  the  matting  in  the  same  way  as 
hia  hosts,  who  suiTounded  him  and  overpowered  him  with 
questions.  Men  and  women,  moreover,  without  giving  a  thonght 
to  decency  or  tlie  civilization  introduced  by  the  English  mission- 
aries, put  themselves  perfectly  at  their  ease,  and  were  content 
with  the  very  simple  uttii'e  of  their  forefathers ;  the  "  maro " 
formed  the  whole  extravagimee  of  theii\  toilette. 

The  most  apparent  result  of  the  efforts  of  tlie  missionazies  is 
that  tlie  natives  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  are  for  the  most  part 
able  to  read  and  write.  These  perfectly  naked  savages  possess  a 
prayer-book,  a  treatise  on  arithmetic,  and  a  bible. 

Any  little  presents  whit-h  people  liked  to  offer  them  were 
accepted  by  the  women  with  gratitude ;  after  a  few  coquettish 
advances,  in  case  a  person  pressed  tliem  closely,  tliey  uttered 
slowly  and  distinctly,  the  word,  *'  taboo." 

When  out-of-doors  tlieir  costume  consisted  of  a  piece  of  cloth 
which  they  (kapcd  around  them  not  ungracefully ;  but  they  did 
not  appear  veiy  pretty  to  the  eyes  of  the  voyagers  in  the  Bonite, 

The  governor  of  Hawaii,  Kona-Kcni,  was  a  man  of  goodly 
presence  and  pleasing  face ;  his  height  was  almost  gigantic  and 
his  corpulence  enormous,  so  much  so  that  he  could  scarcely 
support  liimself  upon  his  legs.  His  wife  received  M.  Vaillant. 
Slie  reclined  on  a  heap  of  mats  forming  a  bed  rjiised  a  foot 
above  the  ground,  and  was  covered  from  head  to  foot  in  a  loose 
gown  of  blue  brocaded  silk.  Her  proportions  also  were  immense. 
Laid  heavily  on  the  piled-up  mats  lier  prodigious  mass  reminded 
him  of  a  seal  basking  in  the  sun.  Around  the  bed  of  tlie  lady 
pai'amount,  were  ranged,  squatted  on  mats,  the  numerous  dames 
forming  the  couil  of  Kona,  and  who  were  clad  in  loose  robes  of 
cotton  stuff  with  colom-ed  flowers.  Tlieir  head-dresses  consisted 
of  hair  only,  in  the  American  style.  Two  of  them  were  provided 
with  fly-flappers,  whieli  they  waved  incessantly  round  Kona's 
head.  The  governor  wore  a  straw  liat,  a  vest  and  shirt  of 
printed  calico,  gi*ay  trowsers,  and  had  his  neck  bare. 

MiCRONESLVN     Fa^IILY. 

The  Micronesian  Family  inhabits  the  small  islands  lying  to  the 
north-west  of  Oceania,  that  is  to  say  the  ai*chipelagos  of  the 
Marianne  (or  Ladrone)  Islands,  as  well  as  of  the  Caroline  and 


THK   "ILMA-S"    BACE 


AavSSinrAN  HINDOO 

BROWN   RACE 


1 


I 


.  I 


W 


'I 


II 


MALAY  BEiLNCH.  401 

Mulgrave  gronps,  &c.  According  to  Dnmont  d'Urville  these 
tribes  differ  from  those  dwelling  in  the  east  by  having  a  daricer 
skin,  thinner  face,  less  widely  opened  eyes,  more  slender  forms, 
and  altogether  distinct  dialects,  which  vary  from  one  gronp  to 
another.  Their  manners  are  gentle.  They  do  not  recognize 
"  taboo." 

We  shall  avail  ourselves  of  some  interesting  details  which 
Lesson  has  given  of  the  Caroline  islands,  mentioning  in  the  first 
place  what  he  has  told  us  concerning  the  Gilbert  group. 

A  solitary  canoe  containing  three  men  ventured  to  approach 
his  corvette,  and  it  was  only  after  prolonged  hesitation  that 
these  individuals  made  up  their  minds  to  go  on  board.  They 
had  lank  and  miserable  limbs ;  a  dark  colour,  and  broad,  coarse 
features ;  tlieir  hair  was  cut  close  by  means  of  a  shell,  and 
neither  beard  nor  moustache  was  apparent.  The  only  covering 
they  wore  was  a  little  round  cap  of  plaited  dry  leaves  of  the 
cocoa  tree,  and  a  roughly-made  mat  with  a  hole  in  the  middle, 
for  the  protection  of  the  shoulders  and  breast.  Their  stomachs 
were  bound  round  with  twists  of  a  rope  formed  from  the  husk  of 
cocoa-nuts. 

Lesson  and  his  companions  were  the  fii*st  Europeans  whom  the 
natives  of  the  island  of  Oualan  had  seen.  They  made  a  ring 
round  the  voyagers,  touched  them  with  their  hands,  and  over- 
whelmed tliem  with  questions.  This  race  is  generally  of  low 
stature.  The  men  have  high  and  narrow  foreheads,  thick 
eyebrows,  small  oblique  eyes,  broad  noses,  large  mouths,  white 
teeth,  and  bright  red  gmns.  Their  black  imfrizzled  hair  is  long, 
and  their  beard  far  from  abimdant.  They  possess  rounded  and 
well-formed  limbs,  and  a  hard,  light  bronze-coloured  skin.  They 
are  spiritless  and  effeminate. 

The  women  and  young  girls  have  agreeable  coimtenances,  their 
black  eyes  being  full  of  fire,  and  their  mouths  furnished  with 
superb  teeth ;  but  their  figures  are  badly  formed,  and  they  have 
hips  of  immoderate  size.  They  go  about  in  almost  complete 
nudity.  Both  sexes  have  a  habit  of  making  a  large  hole  in 
the  right  ear,  for  the  purpose  of  placing  in  it  everything  that 
people  give  them,  and  sometimes  articles  very  unfit  for  ear- 
rings, such  as  bottles.  Girls  usually  fill  it  with  bouquets  of 
pancratium,  a  plant  of  the  amaryUis  fEomlyf  and  often  detach,  a 

9  B 


402  THE   BROWN    RACE. 

few  of  these  sweet-smelling  flowers,  and  try  to  pnt  them  into  a 
traveller's  ears,  while  smiling  graciously.  The  men  also  wear 
chaplets  of  brilliant  flowers  or  arum  stalks. 

These  aborigines  do  not  make  use  of  any  kind  of  garments  as  a 
protection  against  the  frequent  rains  of  their  climate,  but  they 
shield  their  heads  from  the  sun  with  a  broad  arum  leaf. 

The  chiefs  seem  to  trj^  not  to  expose  themselves  so  much  to 
the  influences  of  the  heat,  and  are  whiter  and  better  made  than 
tlie  other  islanders.  The  patterns  of  their  tattooing  are  their 
sole  mark  of  distinction ;  they  fasten  feathers,  however,  in  the 
knot  which  confines  their  hair,  and  whenever  persons  give  them 
nails  they  stick  them  around  their  forehead,  arranging  them 
regularly  like  a  diadem.  The  women  appeared  chaste ;  na}-  more, 
the  men  were  anxious  to  keep  them  out  of  the  strangers'  sight, 
a  feeling  all  the  more  remarkable  because  quite  at  variance  with 
the  usual  habits  of  the  South  Sea  Islanders. 

Oualan  was  governed  at  that  time  by  one  chief  only,  whom  the 
people  encompassed  with  extraordinary  reverence,  never  pro- 
nouncing his  name  without  veneration. 

The  prerogatives  of  the  chiefs  appear  to  rest  upon  religious 
ideas.  They  differ  in  general  from  the  people  by  an  erect 
carriage,  a  more  imposing  and  solemn  manner,  as  well  as  b}'  the 
better  executed  tattooing  whicli  indicates  their  rank.  A  great 
many  chiefs  rule  in  the  districts  of  the  island,  and  appear  to  hold 
absolute  rights  over  property,  and,  it  may  be,  over  persons. 

As  regards  industry,  the  only  manufactm-es  for  wbich  the 
natives  of  Oualan  are  remarkable  are  cloth  and  canoes.  They 
draw  tlireads  from  the  leaves  or  the  stems  of  the  wild  banana 
tree  {Mtisa  teatUis),  which  they  know  how  to  dye  in  red,  yellow,  or 
black,  and  with  which  they  make  stuffs  that  are  not  greatly  in- 
ferior to  Phiropean  textures. 

They  build  their  boats  with  hatchets  fonned  of  stone  or  shell, 
and  notwithstanding  the  imperfection  of  these  implements,  give  to 
their  work  a  finish  of  finical  nicety.  The  body  of  the  canoe  is 
lioUowed  from  a  single  tree,  sometimes  a  very  big  one.  They 
l)olish  the  wood  with  trachyte,  or  by  means  of  large  rasps  made 
from  the  skin  of  the  sea-devil.  These  little  vessels  ai'e  propelled 
by  oars,  without  either  sails  or  masts. 

Lesson,  in  alluding  to  the  people  of  the  Mac-Askill  Islands, 
who  bear  the  closest  analogy  to  the  inhabitants  of  Oualan  both  in 


MALAY  BIIANCH.  403 

j>Iij'sicnl  chai'acterislies  and  the  state  of  their  industry,  remarks 
on  the  taste  which  some  snvages  tUsplay  for  flowers  as  an  adorn- 
ment of  the  person.  There  were  j'oung  females  in  these  islands 
who  wore  on  theii'  heads  crowns  of  Ixora,  the  corollas  of  which 
fire  a  brilliant  crimson ;  a  few  had  passed  through  the  holes  in 
tlieii'  ears  leaves  of  flowere  exhaling  the  fragrant  odom-  of  violets, 
and  white  blossoms  were  twined  in  the  hair  of  others.  Tbesa 
ornaments,  adds  the  learned  traveller,  posaeseed  a  charm  more 
easy  to  feel  than  to  express. 


THE  BED   KACE. 


This  race  is  sometimes  designated  as  the  American,  because  in 
the  fifteenth  century  it  formed  in  itself  alone  almost  the 
whole  population  of  the  two  Americas.  But  Europeans,  and 
especially  the  English  of  the  United  States,  constitute,  at 
present,  the  greatest  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  America.  They 
have  to  a  certain  extent  monopolised  the  name  of  "  Americans," 
so  much  so  that  people  generally  call  the  nations  of  the  Red  Bace 
Indians,  a  title  which  was  given  to  them  by  the  Spaniards,  in  the 
time  of  Christopher  Columbus,  in  consequence  of  that  strange 
mistake  of  the  great  Genoese  navigator,  who  discovered  the  New 
World  without  knowing  it,  that  is  to  say,  while  imagining  that 
he  had  simply  found  a  new  passage  by  which  to  reach  the 
**  Great  Indies,"  in  Asia. 

The  denomination  of  Red  Race  is,  besides,  a  defective  one,  in 
so  much  that  several  tribes  ranked  in  this  group  have  no  shade 
of  red  in  their  colour.  This  division  is,  in  fine,  rather  imperfect 
from  an  ethnological  point  of  view,  but  it  i)ossesses  the 
advantage  of  fixing  geographically  the  habitat  of  the  nations 
included  in  it. 

The  American  Indians  approach  closely  to  the  Yellow  Race 
belonging  to  Asia,  in  their  haii*,  wliich  is  generally  black,  rough, 
and  coarse,  in  the  scarceness  of  their  beard,  and  in  their 
complexion,  which  varies  from  yellow  to  a  red  copper  colour. 
Among  one  portion  of  them  the  very  prominent  nose  and  large 
open  eyes  recall  to  mind  the  White  Race.  Their  forehead  is 
extremely  retreating,  but  no  other  race  have  the  back  part  of  the 
head  more  developed,  or  broader  eye-sockets.  Though  usually 
hospitable  and  generous,  they  are  cruel  and  implacable  in  their 


XEDB  BSD  BACK  Ml 

resentmentSy  and  make  war  for  the  most  MyoIoos  causes.  Two  ci 
these  nations,  the  primitiye  Mexicans  and  PemvianSi  had  formed^ 
founded  wide  empires,  and  had  attained  a  somewhat  advaiiced 
civilizationy  though  lower  than  that  of  Europeans  of  the  same 
epoch.  But  these  monarchies  having  been  swept  away  by  their 
Spanish  conquerors,  progress  was  checked.  The  Indians  whu 
escaped  the  destruction  of  their  race,  and  submitted  to  the  Tictors, 
are  now  no  better  than  husbandmen  or  artisans,  while  as  for 
those  that  remained  independent,  they  wander  in  the  woods  and 
the  prairies,  and  are  the  last  representatives  of  man  in  the  savage 
or  semi-savage  state.  They  live  in  the  forests*  and  savannahs,  on 
the  produce  of  their  hunting  and  fishing ;  their  wives  are  kept  by 
them  in  a  state  of  the  greatest  abjectness,  and  are  loaded  with 
the  heaviest  labour ;  while  certain  tribes  still  continue  to  offer 
human  sacrifices  to  their  idols. 

A  fact  which  deserves  notice  is,  that  the  Indians  who  were 
already  settled  and  who  were  husbandmen  when  the  Spaniards 
arrived,  speedily  submitted  to  the  strangers,  but  never  has  it  been 
found  possible  to  tame  those  who  have  shown  themselves,  fircmi 
the  fifteenth  century  to  this  day,  rebels  to  foreign  influence,  and 
who  have  preferred  to  become  masters  of  the  forest  solitudes 
rather  than  accept  the  yoke  and  customs  of  the  Europeans.  More* 
over,  the  number  and  population  of  the  wild  tribes  of  the  two 
Americas  diminish  every  year,  especially  in  the  north,  a  result 
attributable  to  their  continual  wars,  the  ravages  of  the  small-pox, 
and,  above  all,  to  the  fatal  passion  of  these  savage  nations  for 
brandy. 

Anthropologists  have  taken  great  trouble  to  discover  the  real 
origin  of  the  Indians  of  America,  and  to  establish  their  affinilfy 
with  the  other  human  families,  but  up  to  the  present  their  studies 
have  led  to  no  satisfactory  result.  The  Indians  cannot  be  accQ- 
rately  brought  into  connection  with  either  the  White,  Yellow,  or 
Brown  Race ;  nor  on  the  other  hand  can  the  mingling  of  these 
three  groups  be  explained,  nor  the  American  Indian  be  recog- 
Bked  as  a  determinate  origiBal  type. 

The  great  differences,  both  in  the  shape  of  the  skull  and  the 
colour  of  the  skin,  which  are  known  to  exist  among  the  Indisii 
tribes,  proclaim  numercms  crossings.  Many  drcumstanees  profo 
that  in  yery  remote  times  some  Euiopesns  made  their  msf 
into  America  1^  the  aorfhi  and  tiiftl  th^  tomA  there  oeM  or 


406  THE    RED    RACE. 

many  native  races,  whom  they  partially  overcame,  and  with  whom 
they  are  mingled  to  the  present  day.  The  degree  of  ciyilization 
that  had  been  reached  by  the  Mexicans  and  Peruvians  of  old, 
when  Colmnbus  landed  in  the  New  World ;  tlie  American  tradition 
which  holds  that  the  founders  of  their  empires  were  foreigners ; 
the  existence  on  the  Northern  continent  of  ruins  annoiincing  a 
state  of  things  at  least  as  far  advanced  as  that  of  the  NahuatJi 
and  the  Quichuas,  (the  former  Mexicans  and  Peruvians)  ;  such  are 
the  facts  whicli  establish  that  a  blending  formerly  took  place 
between  the  primitive  Indians  and  Northern  Europeans.    * 

The  shape  of  the  body  peculiar  to  the  Indians  of  the  north- 
east, has  equally  led  to  the  sui>position  that  they  reckon  some 
Europeans  among  their  ancestors,  an  idea  which  ai^peai-s  all  the 
more  admissible,  because  in  the  tenth  centmy  the  ancient 
Scandinavians  undoubtedly  had  relations  with  America. 

Consequently,  the  original  race  which  has  peopled  the  Western 
Hemisphere  is  almost  impossible  to  be  traced.  Probably  the 
population  which  existed  in  the  New  World  before  the  arrival  of 
the  Europeans  was  made  up  of  several  types  diiferent  from  those 
that  are  extant  at  present  in  the  otlier  regions  of  the  globe,  types 
having  a  great  tendency  to  modify  themselves,  and  which  were 
obliterated  whenever  they  came  in  contact  with  the  races  of 
Europe.  But  to  re-ascend  back  to  tliis  piimordial  population 
would  now  be  impossible. 

In  commenting  on  the  tribes  of  the  Red  llace,  we  shall  separate 
the  Indians  who  inhabit  North  America  from  those  dwelling  in 
the  southern  continent,  for  certain  characteristics  mark  these  two 
groups  ;  in  other  words,  we  shall  distinguish  in  the  Ked  Hace  two 
divisions — the  southern  bi'anch  and  the  northern  branch. 


CHAPTER  L 

SOUTHEKN    BRANCH. 

The  nations  of  the  southern  branch  of  the  Red  Race  have 
affinity  to  those  of  the  Yellow  Race.  Their  complexion,  which  is 
often  yellowish  or  olive,  is  never  so  red  as  that  of  the  noi*them 
Indians ;  their  head  is  usually  of  less  length  and  theii*  nose  not 
so  prominent,  while  they  frequently  have  oblique  eyes. 

We  intend  to  divide  this  branch  into  three  families,  named 
respectively  tlie  Andiaii,  Pampeariy  and  Gunranu 

Andian  Fa>uly. 

This  family  contains  three  different  peoples : — firstly,  the 
QulchiLOs ;  secondly,  the  Aiitis  Indians;  and  thirdly,  tlie  Aratt- 
canians. 

The  characteristics  which  the  ti'ibes  belonging  to  this  group 
possess  in  common  are  an  olive-brown  complexion,  small  stature, 
low  retiring  forehead,  and  horizontal  eyes,  which  are  not  drawn 
down  at  the  outer  angle.  They  inhabit  the  western  parts  of 
Bolivia,  Peru,  and  tlie  State  of  Quito.  These  countries  were 
completely  subjugated  by  the  Spaniards  in  the  sixteenth  centur}', 
and  the  natives  converted  to  Chi'istianity. 

We  shall  notice  in  the  fii'st  division,  Quichuas  or  ancient  Incas, 
the  Aynmras,  the  AUicamas,  and  the  Changos. 

Quichuas  or  Incas. — The  Quichuas  were  the  principal  people 
of  the  ancient  empire  of  the  Incas,  and  they  still  constitute 
almost  half  the  free  Indian  population  of  South  America.  In  the 
fifteenth  century  the  Incas  were  the  dominant  race  among  the 
nations  of  Peru,  speaking  a  language  of  their  own,  called  Quichu. 

The  former  Incas,  those  who  lived  before  the  Spanish  invasion. 


408 


THE    EED    BACK. 


were  possessed  of  a  certain  degree  of  civilizalion.  They  had 
calculated  exactly  the  length  of  the  solar  year,  had  made  rather 
considerable  progress  in  the  art  of  sculpture,  preserved  memorials 
of  their  history  by  means  of  hieroglj'phics,  and  enjoyed  a  well- 
organized  government  and  a  code  of  good  laws.  Oratois,  poets, 
and  musicians  were  to  be  foimd  among  them,  and  their  figurative 
melodions  lan- 
guage denoted 
prolonged  cul- 
ture. Their  re- 
ligion was  im- 
pressed to  the 
highest  degree 
with  a  devo- 
tional character. 
They  recognized 
a  God,  the  su- 
preme arbiter 
and  creator  of 
all  things.  This 
divinity  was  the 
sun,  and  superb 
temples  were 
raised  by  them 
to  its  honour. 
Their  religiou 
and  their  man- 
ners breathed  great  sweetness.  The  fierce  Spfinlsh  conquerors  en- 
countered this  mild,  inoffensive  race,  and  never  rested  until  they 
had  annihilated  with  fire  and  sword  these  unsophisticated,  peace- 
able men,  who  were  of  more  worth  than  theu-  cruel  invaders. 

Figs.  179  and  180  represent  types  of  Incaa  drawn  from  the 
genealogical  tree  of  the  imperial  family,  which  was  published  in 
the  "  Tour  du  Motide,"  in  1863. 

According  to  Alcide  d'Orbigny,  the  naturalist,  who  baa  given  a 
perfect  description  of  this  race,  the  Quichuas  are  not  copper- 
coloured,  but  of  a  mixed  shade,  between  brown  and  olive ;  their 
average  height  is  not  more  than  five  feet  two  inches,  that  of  the 
females  being  still  lower.  They  have  broad,  square  shoolders, 
and  an  excessively  full   chest,   very  prominent,  and  very  long. 


F.MPEBOB  OF  THB   IKCAS. 


souTHxmr  bbakoh. 


4t» 


Their  hands  and  laet  are  small.  The  eraniom  and  features  of  this 
people  are  strongly  characteristic,  constitnting  a  perfectly  diatinet 
type,  which  bears  no  resemblance  to  any  but  the  Mexican.  The 
head  ia  oblong  from  front  to  back,  and  a  little  compressed 
at  the  sides ;  the  forehead  slightly  ronnded,  low,  and  somewhat 
retreating ;  yet  the  sktdl  is  often  capacions,  and  denotes  a  rather 
large  development  of  the  brain.  The  &ce  is  g^erally  broad ; 
the  nose  always  prominent,  somewhat  long,  and  so  extremely  aqoi- 
Itne,  as  to  seem  as 

if  the  end  were       ■  -r.-s"-'^  *•" 

bent  over  the 
upper  lip,  and 
pierced  by  wide 
very  open  nos- 
trils. The  size 
of  the  mouth  is 
large  rather  than 
moderate,  and 
the  hps  protrude , 
although  they 
are  not  thick. 
The    teeth     are  "'       ' 

invariably  hand- 
some, and  re-  ISO.— coya 
main  good  dur- 
ing old  age.  Without  being  receding,  the  chin  is  a  little  short ; 
indeed  it  is  sometimes  slightly  projecting.  The  eyes  are  of 
moderate  size  and  frequently  even  small,  fdways  horizontal,  and 
never  either  drawn  down  or  ap  at  their  outer  angle.  The  eye- 
brows are  greatly  arched,  narrow,  and  thin.  The  colour  of  the  ludr 
is  always  a  fine  black,  and  it  is  coarse,  thick,  long,  and  extremely 
smooth  and  straight,  and  comes  down  very  low  at  each  side  of  the 
forehead.  The  beard  is  limited  to  a  few  straight  and  scattered 
hairs,  which  appear  very  late  across  the  upper  lip,  at  the  sides 
of  the  mouth,  and  on  the  point  of  the  chin.  The  conntenanee 
of  these  men  is  regular,  serious,  thoughtful,  and  even  sad,  and  it 
might  be  said  that  they  wish  to  conceal  their  thooghts  beneath 
the  still,  set  look  of  their  featores*  A  pretty  fue  is  seldtan 
seen  among  the  women. 
An  ancient  vaae  has  been  found  on  which  ia  a  painting  of  aa 


410  THE   RED   BACK 

Inca,  who  is  in  every  way  so  entirely  like  those  of  tlie  present 
day  as  to  prove  that  during  four  or  five  centuries  the  lineaments 
of  these  people  have  not  undergone  any  perceptible  alteration. 

The  Aymaras  bear  a  close  resemblance,  so  far  as  physical  cha- 
racteristics are  concerned,  to  the  Quichuas,  from  whom,  however, 
they  ai*e  completely  separated  by  language. 

They  formed  a  numerous  nation,  spread  over  a  wide  expanse 
of  countr}%  and  appear  to  have  been  civilized  in  very  remote 
time^.  We  may  consider  the  A}'maras  as  the  descendants 
of  that  ancient  race  which,  in  far-off  ages,  inhabited  the  lofty 
X^lains  now  covered  by  the  singular  monimients  of  Tiagnanaco, 
the  oldest  city  of  South  America,  and  which  peopled  the  borders 
of  Lake  Titicaca. 

The  Aymaras  resemble  the  Quichuas  in  the  most  remarkable 
feature  of  their  organization,  namely  the  length  and  breadth  of 
tlie  chest,  which,  by  allowing  the  lungs  to  attain  a  great  develop- 
ment, renders  these  tribes  particularly  suited  for  living  on  hi^ 
mountains.  In  the  shape  of  the  head  and  the  intellectuMl 
faculties,  as  well  as  in  manners,  customs,  and  industry,  both 
peoples  may  be  compared,  but  the  architectui'e  of  the  monuments 
and  tombs  of  the  fonner  race  diverges  widely  from  that  of  the 
Incas. 

Two  nations  inferior  in  immbers  to  those  of  which  we  have  just 
spoken,  may  be  mentioned  here  ;  they  are  tlie  Atacamas,  occupy- 
ing the  western  declivities  of  the  Peruvian  Andes,  and  the 
ChaiigoSy  dwelling  on  the  slopes  next  the  Pacific.  Both  one  and 
the  other  are  like  the  Incas  in  physical  characteristics,  but  the 
colom*  of  the  skin  of  the  Changos  is  of  a  slightly  darker  hue, 
being  a  blackish  bisti*e. 

A.nti8. — The  Antis  Indians  comprise  many  tribes,  namely,  the 
Yuracares,  Mocetenes,  Tacanas,  Maropas,  and  Apolistas,  races 
which  inliabit  the  Bolivian  Andes.  Their  complexion  is  lighter 
than  that  of  the  Incas,  they  have  not  such  bulky  bodies,  and  their 
features  are  more  effeminate. 

The  accoimt  which  M.  P^ul  Marcoy  has  given  in  the  **  Tour 
du  Monde  "  of  his  travels  across  South  America  from  the  shores 
of  the  Pacific  to  those  of  the  Atlantic,  is  accompanied  by  several 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  411 

sketches  representing  Antis  Indians  and  some  wandering  hordes 
which  belong  to  the  same  group  ;  and  we  have  reproduced  a  few 

of  these  drawings  in  our  pages,  the  first  two  (figs.  181  and  182) 
being  types  of  the  heads  of  these  people.  We  also  derive  from 
the  same  source  the  following  details  as  to  this  race. 

The  Antis  is  of  meclium  stature  and  well-proportioned,  witli 
rounded  limbs. 
He  paints  his 
cheeks  and  the 
part  round  his 
eyes  with  a  red 
dye,  extracted 
from  the  rocou 
plant,  and  also 
colours  those 
parts  of  his  bodv 
txpced  to  tht 
airwith the  black 
ol  genipa  His 
co\eriugconsisti 
of  a  long,  sack 
shipcd  flock, 
ivoveu  hj  the 
women,      as      is  ' 

also    the   wallet,  IM.— an  antis    Indian. 

in  tile  shfipe  of 

a  hand  bag,  carried  by  him  across  his  shoulder,  and  containing 
his  toilet  articles,  namely  : — a  comb  made  with  tlie  thorns  of 
the  Chouta  palm  ;  some  rocou  in  paste ;  half  a  genipa  apple  ;  a 
bit  of  looking-glass  framed  in  wood ;  a  ball  of  tliread ;  a  scrap 
of  wax ;  pincere  for  extracting  bail's,  formed  of  two  mussel- 
sliells ;  a  snuff-box  made  from  a  snail's  shell,  and  containing 
very  finely  giound  tobacco  gathered  green ;  an  apparatus  for 
gi'ating  the  snuff,  made  of  the  ends  of  reeds  or  two  arm  bones 
of  a  monkey,  soldered  together  with  black  wax  at  an  acute 
angle ;  sometimes,  a  knife,  scissors,  fish-hooks,  and  needles  of 
European  mauufactiu-e. 

Both  sexes  wear  their  hair  hanging  down  like  a  horse's  tail, 
and  cut  straight  across  just  over  the  eyes.  The  only  trinket 
they  carry  is  a  piece  of  silver  money  flattened  between  two  stones, 


4iS  THE    BED    BACE 

which  they  pierce  ynih  a  hole  and  hang  from  the  cartilage  of 
their  nosttils.  For  ornaments  they  have  necklaces  of  glass 
beads,  cedar  and  st\Tnx  berries,  skins  of  birds  of  biilliuit 
plumage,  tucana's  beaks,  tapir's  claws,  and  even  vanilla  IiiisIlS 
strung  upon  a  thread. 

Tlie  Aiitis  almost  nln-uys  build  their  dwellings  on  the  banks 
of  a  water-course,  iso- 
lated  and  half  hidden 
by  a  screen  of  vegeta- 
tion. The  huts  are  low 
and  dirty,  and  perraded 
by  a  smell  like  that  of 
^nld  beasts,  for  the  air 
can  scarcely  circulate  in 
them.  In  the  fine  season 
of  the  year  sheds  take 
the  place  of  closed<i)p 
huts  (fig.  183). 

The     weapons     used 
by  the  Antis  are  clubs 
and    bows   and    arrows. 
,--  F i she nneu  capture  their 

--''  prey    in     tlie     running 

182.— AS  AKTis  iNuiAs.  streftms      with      arron 

barbed  at  the  ends,  or 
having  three  prongs  like  a  trident.  Other  darts,  with  palm- 
points  or  bamboo-heads,  are  employed  by  the  hunter  for  birda 
and  quadiiipeds. 

The  Antis  occasionally  poison  the  waters  of  the  creeks  and 
bays  by  means  of  the  Meiikpermiim  cocculus.  The  fish  become 
instantanoousi}-  intoxicated ;  Uiey  first  struggle,  then  rise  belly 
tipx>ermost,  and  come  floating  on  tlie  surface,  where  they  arc 
easily  taken  with  the  hand  (fig.  184). 

The  earthenware  of  this  people  is  coarsely  manufactured,  aud 
is  painted  and  glazed.  'I'hey  live  in  families,  or  iu  separate 
couples,  and  have  no  law  beyond  their  own  caprice.  They  do 
not  elect  chiefs,  except  in  time  of  war,  and  to  lead  them  against 
an  enemy.  The  girls  are  mai-riageable  at  twelve  years  of  age, 
and  accept  any  husband  who  seeks  them,  if  he  has  prenously 
made  some  present  to  their  pai'ents.    They  prepare  their  lord  and 


SOUTHERN  BRANCH. 


«13 


master's  food,  weave  his  clotbes,  look  after  and  gather  in  the 
crops  of  lice,  maiiioc,  maize,  and  other  cereals ;  cany  his 
baggage  on  a  journey,  follow  him  to  battle,  and  pick  up  the 
arrows  which  he  has  discharged;    they  aJso  accompany  him  in 


the  chase  or  when  fishing,  padtUe  bis  canoe,  and  bring  back  to 
their  dwelling  tlie  booty  gained  from  an  enemy,  and  the  game 
or  fisb  which  has  been  killed ;  and  yet,  notwithstanding  this 
severe  work  and  continual  bondage,  the  women  are  always 
cheerful. 

They  use   a  large    earthea   vessel  to   cook    the  fish   caught 


414  THE    BED    BACE. 

in   the   nearest   stream,   or  the   game   killed    in   the   ac^joinisg 
forest. 


When  one  of  this  nation  dies,  his  relatives  anil  friends  assemble 
in  hia  abode,  seize  the  corpse  (which  is  wrapped  in  the  loose 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  413 

sack-like  frock  usually  worn  )  by  the  bead  and  feet,  and  throw  it 
into  the  nver  They  then  wreck  the  dwelling  break  the 
deceased  3  bow  arrows  and  pottery  scatter  the  ashes  of  his 
hearth  de-v  astate  his  crops  cut  down  to  the  ground  the  trees  which 
he  baa  planted    and  finally  set  fire  to  his  but      The  pi  ice  is 


tlieiiceforth  reputed  impure,  and  is  shunned  by  all  passers-by ; 
vegetation  very  soon  reasserts  its  sway,  and  the  dead  is  for  ever 
effaced  from  the  memory  of  the  living. 

These  people  who  thus  treat  their  dead  so  badly,  profess  an 
equal  disdain  for  the  aged,  for  whom  they  reserve  the  refuse  of  their . 
food,  their  worn-out  rags,  and  the  worst  place  at  the  hearth. 


416  THE   RED   RACK 

Their  religion  is  a  jumble  of  theogonieSy  in  which  howerer  are 
recognizable  a  notion  of  the  existence  of  a  supreme  God,  the  idea 
of  the  two  principles  of  good  and  evil,  and  finally,  a  belief  in 
reward  or  punishment  on  leaving  this  life. 

The  manners  of  these  tribes  are,  as  may  be  seen,  a  somewhat 
singular  medley ;  fi'ee  will  is  the  ruling  law  and,  as  it  were, 
the  wisdom  of  their  race,  which  lives  tmfettered  in  the  bosom  of 
nature. 

The  Antis  Indians  have  a  soft  smooth  idiom,  which  they 
speak  with  extreme  volubility  in  a  low,  gentle  tone  that  never 
varies. 

Arau<:anians. — These  tribes  spread  themselves  over  the  western 
slopes  of  the  Andes,  from  80  degrees  south  latitude  to  the 
extremity  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  and  also  occupy  the  upper  valleys 
and  plains  situate  to  the  east  of  the  Cordilleras. 

The  Araucanians  constitute  two  nations,  namely,  the  people 
who  properly  bear  that  name,  indomitable  warriors,  whose 
heroism  is  celebrated  in  the  history  of  the  Spanish  conquest  of 
Peru :  and  the  Pecherays,  who  inhabit  the  most  southern  link  of 
the  American  mountain  chain. 

According  to  A.  d'Orbigny,  both  these  races  present  a  great 
similitude  as  regards  their  j^hysical  characteristics,  which  consist 
of  a  head  that  is  large  in  proportion  to  the  body,  a  round  face, 
prominent  cheekbones,  a  broad  mouth,  thick  lips,  a  short,  flat 
nose,  wide  nostrils,  a  narrow  retiring  forehead,  hoiizontal  eyes, 
and  a  tliin  beard. 

Fig.  186  is  a  representation,  after  Pritchai'd,  of  one  of  those 
Araucanian  Indians  who  may  be  considered  as  fonning  the  least 
barbarous  of  the  independent  native  tribes  of  South  America, 

These  people  do  not,  in  fact,  lead  the  nomadic  existence  of 
Indians.  Being  protected  by  thick  forests  from  tlie  attacks  and 
invasions  of  the  Americans,  they  build  what  are  real  houses  with 
wood  and  ii'on,  and  theii*  customs  denote  a  rudimentary  civiliza- 
tion. 

A  Perigueux  attorney  has  rendered  the  Araucanian  nation 
celebrated  in  France.  He  had  succeeded  in  getting  himself 
chosen  as  its  king,  and  when  chased  away  by  the  Peruvians  came 
to  relate  his  Odyssey  in  Europe,  returning  afterwards  to  re- 
conquer his  tmstable  throne.     Orelie,  the  First  of  the  name,  has 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  417 

Recording   to  rumonr   recovered   at    present   his    lofty  position 
among  the  Indians   of  Araucania.      AVe   wish   him   a   tranquil 


The  Peekerays  inhabit  the  coast  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  and 
both  shores  of  the  Straita  cf  Magellan  The  life  they  lead 
and  the  ice  covenng  all  the  interior  of  the  hilly  country  they 
occupy  force  them  to  remain  exclusively  on  the  borders  of 
the  sea 

Their  colour  is  olive  or  ta^Tiy  thej  are  well  built  but  of 
clumsy  figure  and  then  legs  bowed  fiom  continually  sitting 
crosb  legged  give  them  an  unsteady  gait  Their  pleasant  natural 
smile  gives  indication  of  an  obliging  disposition. 

Being  essentially  nomadic  thej  do  not  foi-m  themselves  into 
commumties  but  mo\e  about  in  small  numbers,  by  groups  of  two 
or  three  famihes  living  by  hunting  and  fisliing,  and  changing 
their  resting-place  as  soon  as  they  have  exhausted  the  animals  and 
shell-fish  of  the  neighbourhood.     Dwelling  in  a  region  which  is 


418 


THE    RED    RACE. 


split  np  into  a  mnltitude  of  islands,  they  have  become  navigators, 
and  coDtinually  traverse  every  shore  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  as  well 
as  of  the  countries  situated  to  the  east  of  the  strait.  They 
build  large  boats,  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  long  and  three  feet 
broad,  from  the  bark  of  trees,  with  no  other  implements  than 
shells  or  hatchets  made  of  ttint. 

Their  huts  (fig.  187)  are  covered  over  with  earth  or  sealskins 


and  some  fine  morning  the  wliole  family  will  abandon  them  and 
take  to  their  canoes  with  tlieir  numerous  dogs.  The  women  plj 
their  oars,  while  the  men  liold  themselves  in  readiness  to  pierce 
any  fish  they  perceive,  with  a  dart  pointed  by  a  sharpened  stone. 
When  in  tliis  way  they  arrive  at  another  island,  the  women, 
having  placed  their  little  vessel  in  safet}',  start  in  search  of  shell- 
fish and  the  men  go  hunting  with  the  sling  or  the  bow.  A  short 
stay  is  followed  by  a  fresh  departure. 

These  poor  people  are  thus  incessantly  exposed  to  the  dangen 
of  the  sea  and  the  inclemency  of  the  seasons,  and  yet  they  are,  it 
may  be  said,  without  clothing.     The  men's  Moulders  are  barely 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  419 

covered  with  a  scrap  of  sealskin,  whilst  the  whole  apparel  of  the 
women  consists  in  a  little  apron  of  the  same  material. 

Notwithstanding  this  rude  existence,  the  Pecherays  display 
some  coquetry.  They  load  their  necks,  arms,  and  legs  with  gew- 
gaws and  shells,  and  paint  their  bodies,  and  oftener  their  faces, 
with  different  designs  in  red,  white,  and  black.  The  men 
occasionally  ornament  their  heads  with  bunches  of  feathers.  All 
wear  a  kind  of  boot  made  of  sealskin. 

Like  all  other  tribes  who  subsist  by  hunting,  the  Pecherays 
have  among  themselves  frequent  quarrels,  and  even  petty  wars, 
that  last  only  a  short  time  but  are  continually  renewed. 

They  share  their  food  with  their  faithful  companions,  the  dogs ; 
it  consists  of  cooked  or  raw  shell-fish,  birds,  fish,  and  seals, 
and  they  eat  the  fat  of  the  latter  raw.  They  do  not,  like  the 
inhabitants  of  the  North  Pole,  pass  the  most  rigorous  period  of 
the  winter  underground,  but  pursue  their  laboiu's  in  the  open 
air,  protecting  themselves  as  best  they  can  against  the  cold 
which  prevails  on  these  shores,  notwithstanding  the  deceitful 
name  of  Tierra  del  Fuego.  This  *'  Land  of  Fire,"  by  reason  of 
its  proximity  to  the  South  Pole,  is,  dui-ing  the  greater  part  of  the 
year,  a  region  of  ice. 

The  women  are  subjected  to  the  roughest  labours.  They  row, 
fish,  build  the  cabins,  and  plunge  into  the  sea,  even  during  the 
most  intense  cold,  in  their  search  for  the  shell- fish  attaclied  to 
the  rocks. 

The  language  of  the  Pecherays  resembles  that  of  the  Patago- 
nians  and  the  Puelches  in  sound,  and  that  of  the  Araucanians  in 
form.  Their  weapons  and  their  religion,  as  well  as  the  paintings 
on  their  faces,  are  also  those  of  these  three  neighbouring  nations. 

Pampean  Family. 

The  rather  numerous  tribes  of  South  America  who  compose 
this  family  are  frequently  of  tall  stature,  with  arched  and  pro- 
minent foreheads  overhanging  horizontal  eyes  which  are  some- 
times contracted  at  the  outer  angle.  They  inhabit  the  immense 
plains  or  PampaSy  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Andes.  They  rear  great  numbers  of  horses,  and  consequently 
the  men,  like  the  tribes  who  roam  over  the  steppes  of  Asia,  are 
nearly  always  mounted. 

B  X  2 


420  THE   RED  RACK 

The  peoples  comprised  in  this  family  are :  the  Patagoniaru, 
properly  so  called;  the  Puelches,  or  the  tribes  of  the  Pampas 
to  the  south  of  the  La  Plata  river ;  the  Charruas,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Uruguay ;  the  TohaSy  LenguaSy  and  Machicuys,  who  occupy 
the  greater  part  of  Chaco ;  the  Moxos,  the  Chiquitos,  and  the 
Mataguayos ;  and  finally  the  famous  Abipoous ;  the  centaurs 
of  the  New  World.  We  can  only  speak  of  some  of  these 
groups. 

Patagonians. — Under  this  name  we  include,  besides  the  Pata- 
gonians  proper,  several  other  nomadic  races  resembling  them, 
who  are  found,  some  to  the  north,  and  others  to  the  south, 
of  the  La-  Plata.  The  latter  wander  over  the  pampas  which 
stretch  from  that  river  as  far  as  the  Straits  of  Magellan ;  while 
the  northern  tribes,  who  bear  a  physical  resemblance  to  the 
genuine  Patagonians,  inhabit  that  portion  of  the  country  com- 
prised between  the  Paraguay  river  and  the  last  spurs  of  the 
Cordilleras,  and  which  stretches  northward  as  far  as  the  twentieth 
degree  of  latitude,  including  the  inland  plains  of  the  province  of 
Chaco. 

The  Patagonians  are  the  nomads  of  the  New  World.  They 
furnish  the  horsemen  who  scour  its  vast  arid  tracts,  living  under 
tents  of  skins,  or  who  hide  in  its  forests,  in  huts  covered  with 
bark  and  thatch.  Haughty  and  unconquered  warriors,  they 
despise  agriculture  and  the  arts  of  civilization,  and  have  always 
resisted  the  Spanish  arms. 

These  savages  have  darker  skins  than  most  of  those  in  South 
America.  Their  complexion  is  an  olive-brown  ;  and  among  the 
men  composing  them  we  find  the  tallest  stature  as  well  as  the 
most  athletic  and  robust  frames.  The  tribes  dwelling  furthest 
south  are  the  tallest,  and  the  height  of  the  others  diminishes 
as  the  Chaco  region  is  approached. 

As  has  been  stated  in  the  introduction  to  tliis  work,  the  stature 
of  this  people  has  been  heretofore  greatly  exaggerated.  M. 
Alcide  d'Orbigny,  who  resided  for  seven  months  among  many 
distinct  divisions  of  the  Patagonians,  measured  several  individuals 
in  each.  He  assures  us  that  the  tallest  of  all  was  only  five  feet 
eleven  inches  in  height,  and  that  the  average  is  not  above  five 
feet  four. 

M.  Victor  de  Rochas,  in  the  account  he  has  given   of  his 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  421 

voyage  to  Magellan's  Straits,  has  proved  in  a  similar  manner  that 
the  stature  of  the  Patagonians  is  by  no  means  extraordinary. 
He  found  them  possessed  of  a  brown  complexion  ;  coarse  straight 
black  hair,  little  beard  ;  serious  countenances — those  of  the  men 
being  manly  and  haughty,  and  the  women's  mild  and  good — 
and  regular  but  coarse  features.  The  hands  and  feet  of  the 
females  were  small. 

Broad,  robust  bodies,  stout  limbs,  and  vigorous  constitutions 
characterise  all  the  tribes  in  question,  the  women  as  well  as  the 
men.  The  Patagonians  proper  have  large  heads  and  wide  flat 
faces  with  prominent  cheek-bones. 

Among  the  nations  of  Chaco,  which  we  shall  speak  of 
fmllier  on,  the  eyes  are  small,  horizontal,  and  sometimes  slightly 
contracted  at  the  outer  corner ;  the  nose  is  short,  flat  and  broad, 
with  open  nostrils ;  the  mouth  big,  the  cliin  short,  and  the  lips 
thick  and  prominent ;  they  have  arched  eyebrows,  Uttle  beard, 
long  straight  black  hair,  and  gloomy  countenances,  frequently  of 
ferocious  aspect. 

Though  the  languages  of  these  races  are  essentially  distinct, 
they  have  a  certain  analogy  between  themselves ;  all  are  hai'sh, 
guttiu'al,  and  difficult  of  pronunciation. 

The  details  which  follow  are  derived  from  the  narrative  of  a 
traveller,  M.  Guinard,  who  spent  three  years  in  captivity  among 
the  Patagonians.  Fate  threw  him  into  the  hands  of  the  tribe  of 
the  Poyuches,  who  wander  along  the  southern  bank  of  the  Eio 
Negro,  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Pacheco  Island. 

AVhether  these  nomadic  Indians  live  in  the  \dcinity  of  the 
Spanish  Americans  or  in  the  solitudes  of  Patagonia,  beneath  the 
outlying  woody  spurs  of  the  Cordilleras,  or  on  the  bare,  wild  soil 
of  the  Pampas,  they  lead  identically  the  same  life.  Their  occu- 
pations are  the  chase,  tending  their  domestic  animals,  horseman- 
ship, and  the  use  of  the  lance,  the  sling,  and  the  lasso. 

Theii*  dwellings  consist  of  hide  tents,  carried  by  these  savages 
from  place  to  place  in  their  migrations.  Their  costume  is 
composed  of  a  piece  of  some  sort  of  stuflF  with  a  hole  in  the 
middle  to  pass  the  head  through,  and  their  waist  is  girt  by 
another  fragment  of  smaller  size.  A  cloth  rag  is  tied  rotmd  their 
head,  separating  tlie  hair  in  front,  and  allowing  it  to  fall  in  long 
waves  over  the  shoulders.  They  carefully  pluck  the  hair  from 
every  part  of  their  bodies,  without  even  sparing  the  eyebrows. 


422  THE   BED    BACE. 

Tlieir  faces  are  pninted  witli  volcanic  caiilis  wliioh  the  Arnu- 
canians  bring  tLcni,  the  colours  varying  according  to  taste, 
but  red,  blue,  black,  iiud  ivhito  have  the  preference.  The 
women  wear  a  frock  nilli  holes  for  their  heads,  arms,  and  legs ; 
tbef  pill)  out  tlieii'  Iiair  and  eyebrows  like  tlie  men,  and  paint 
their  faces,  the  utrange  and  hard  expression  of  uhicli  is  cnliauced 


by  ornaments  of  coarae  beads.  I'.racolets  and  hijuare  enr-riiigii 
complete  their  toilette.  They  can  tlnow  the  lauee  and  the 
lasso  witli  as  much  ease  as  the  men,  and  ride  on  horseback  like 
them.  51.  Guinard  learned  bow  U*  manage  the  horses  anil  use 
tlte  weapons  of  tliis  people,  for  tliey  made  )iim  join  in  tlieir  »and» 
and  fiuanaro  hunts. 

The  chief  occnpatiun  of  these  Indians  is,  in  fact,  tlic  cliase, 
and  they  devote  themselves  to  it  all  through  the  year.  The 
Chrn-elche/;  one  of  the  Patagoniau  tribes,  who  have  no  horses, 
pursue  tlieir  game  on  foot. 

On  their  return  from  hunting  tJie  Patagonians  abandon  tlieni- 


.    P&TAOOKIAN   HOBSB 


424  THE   RED   RACE. 

selves  to  gambling  and  debauchery.  They  cheat  at  play  and 
become  intoxicated  to  madness,  when  they  fight  among  them- 
selves  with  fury.  Two  religious  festivals  are  observed  by 
them  during  the  year,  on  which  occasions  tliey  dance  and  indulge 
in  fantastic  cavalcades. 

A  custom  of  piercing  their  children's  ears  exists  among  these 
people,  and  the  ceremony  which  then  takes  place  is  analogous  to 
that  of  baptism.  The  child  is  laid  on  a  horse,  which  has  been 
thrown  down  by  the  cliief  of  the  family  or  tribe,  and  a  hole  is 
solemnly  bored  through  the  little  lobe  of  his  ear. 

Let  us  add  that  the  existence  of  a  new-bom  infant  is 
submitted  to  the  consideration  of  the  father  and  mother,  who 
decide  upon  its  life  or  death.  Should  they  think  fit  to  get  rid  of 
it,  it  is  smothered,  and  its  body  carried  a  short  distance,  and 
then  abandoned  to  wild  dogs  and  bii'ds  of  prey.  If  the  poor 
little  one  is  judged  worthy  to  live,  its  mother  nurses  it  until  it 
is  three  years  old,  and  at  four  yeai's  of  age  its  eai's  are  solenmly 
pierced,  as  described  above. 

The  Patagonians  in  their  religious  ceremonials,  sacrifice  to 
the  Deity  a  young  horse  and  an  ox  given  by  the  richest  among 
them.  When  these  animals  have  been  thrown  on  the  ground, 
with  theii'  heads  turned  towards  the  east,  a  man  rips  open  the 
victim  (fig.  189),  tears  out  the  heart  and  sticks  it,  still  palpi- 
tating, on  the  end  of  a  spear.  The  eager  and  curious  crowd, 
with  eyes  fixed  on  the  blood  flowing  from  the  gash,  draw  auguries, 
which  are  almost  always  to  their  own  advantage,  and  tlien 
retire  to  their  abodes,  under  the  belief  that  God  will  favour 
theh'  undertakings. 

Marriage  among  these  nations  is  a  traflSc,  a  barter  of  various 
articles  and  animals  for  a  wife.  The  woman,  moreover,  is 
burdened  with  work,  whilst  the  man  takes  his  ease,  whenever  he 
is  not  hunting  or  engaged  in  minding  the  cattle. 

The  Patagonian  wlio  dies  in  his  own  home  is  buried  with 
pomp.  His  body,  covered  with  his  handsomest  ornaments,  and 
Avith  his  weapons  laid  beside  it,  is  stretched  on  a  winding-sheet  of 
skins.  They  then  wrap  it  in  these  skins  and  tie  it  on  the 
back  of  his  favourite  horse,  whose  left  leg  they  break.  All  the 
women  of  the  tribe  join  the  wives  of  the  deceased  and  utter 
piercing  shrieks.  The  men,  having  painted  their  hands  and  faces 
black,  escort  the  body  as  far  as  the  place  of  burial,  where  horses 


SOUTHERN   BRANCH.  425 

and  sheep  are  sacrificed  to  serve  as  food  for  the  dead  during 
his  journey  into  the  next  world. 

Tobas,  Lenguas,  and  Machicuys, — These  three  tribes,  which 
must,  as  we  have  said,  be  included  in  the  Pampean  family,  are 
termed  collectively  the  Indians  of  the  Grand  Chaco,  or  Great 
Desert.  It  will  not  be  uninteresting,  in  order  to  give  an  example 
of  the  customs  of  the  wild  South  American  races,  to  quote 
here  some  pages  in  which  an  account  of  his  visit  to  the  Grand 
Chaco  nations  is  related  by  Dr.  Demersay  in  his  travels  in 
Paraguay. 

"  lleduced  at  the  present  day  to  very  small  numbers  and, 
indeed,  almost  extinct,  the  remnant  of  the  Lengua  nation,"  says 
Dr.  Demersay,  **  lives  to  the  north  of  the  river  Pilcomayo,  in 
union  and  amalgamated  witli  the  Emmages  and  Machicuys, 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  Quartel.  Their  actual  enemies 
are  the  Tobas,  who  are  allied  to  the  Pitiligas,  Chunipis  and 
Aguilots,  and  who  constitute  a  numerous  horde  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Pilcomayo. 

*'  The  remnants  of  the  Lenguas  are  more  especially  joined 
and  mingled  with  the  Macliicuys :  in  fact,  they  no  longer  form 
more  than  a  dozen  families,  and  the  Mascoyian  cacique  is  theirs 
as  well. 

**  There  are  j)a7/cs  or  doctors,  among  the  Lenguas,  who 
administer  nothing  to  a  sick  person  beyond  water  or  fruit,  and 
who  practise  suction  with  the  mouth  for  wounds  and  sore 
places.  They  interlard  this  operation  with  juggleries  and  songs, 
accompanied  by  gourds  (porongos),  shaken  in  the  invalid's  ears. 
These  porongos  are  filled  with  little  stones,  arid  make  a  deafen- 
ing clatter.  The  payes  are  also  sorcerers,  and  read  the  future 
as  well  as  heal  the  sick. 

**  Some  girls,  but  tlie  custom  is  not  general,  tattoo  themselves 
in  an  indeUble  way  at  the  age  of  puberty,  an  event  which  is 
always  marked  by  rejoicing.  This  festival  consists  of  a  family 
gathering,  during  which  the  men  intoxicate  themselves  with 
brandy,  if  they  can  obtain  some  by  barter,  or  with  a  fermented 
liquor  (chicha)  extracted  from  the  fruit  of  the  algaroho. 

**  The  tattooing  of  the  women  consists  of  four  narrow  and 
parallel  blue  lines,  which  descend  from  the  top  of  the  forehead 
to  the  end  of  the  nose,  but  are  not  continued   on  the  upper 


THE    RED    RACE. 


lip,  iis  well  as  of  in-egulai'  rings  traced  on  the  cheeks  and  chin 
as  far  as  the  temples. 


"  Both  sexes  pierce  their  ears  when  extremely  young,  and  pass 
tlirongh  them  a  bit  of  woo<l,  the  width  of  which  they  keep  inces- 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  427 

santly  increasing,  so  that  towards  forty  years  of  age  the  holes  are 
of  enormous  dimensions.  I  measured  several  of  these  orifices, 
and  found  their  average  length  to  be  two  inches  and  a  half, 
whilst  their  diameter  was  somewhat  less  considerable.  The 
pieces  of  wood  are  solid,  iiTegularly  rounded,  and  about  an 
inch  and  three-quarters  in  thickness  at  their  widest  part.  The 
Lenguas  often  replace  them  by  a  long  fragment  of  the  bark  of 
a  tree,  rolled  spu'ally  like  a  wire  spring.  This  ear-ring  is  called 
a  burbot e. 

**  The  Lenguas  comb  theii*  hair,  which  they  cut  at  the  top 
of  the  forehea\l,  forming  a  lock  which  is  drawn  backwards, 
passing  over  the  left  ear,  until  it  falls  into  the  mass  collected 
and  tied  behind  with  a  riband  or  a  woollen  string.  This  body 
of  hair,  which  is  always  black,  straight,  and  generally  very  fine 
and  even  silkv,  tlieu  falls  between  the  shoulders.  The  women 
do  not  always  dress  their  hair  in  this  way;  I  saw  many  who 
allowed  it  to  hang  in  loose  disorder.  Moreover,  though  they 
may  sometimes  coiiib  it,  no  one  can  say  that  these  people 
take  cai'e  of  their  hair ;  their  extreme  filthmess  argues  to  the 
contrary,  for  nothing  can  possibly  be  seen  dirtier  than  this 
nation,  which  in  this  respect  closely  resembles  the  others. 

**  The  weapons  of  the  Lenguas  consist  of  a  bow  and  arrows, 

which   they    cam-   behind    their   backs    bound   up    in   a   hide ; 

they   have   also   an   axe,    called   by   them   acharjij,   borne   m   a 

similar    manner.      They    carrv    in    their    hand    a   mahana,    or 

staff,  made  of  hard,  lieavv  wood  ;  and  to  these  is  also  added  a 

*  .  .       .  ' 

si^ear  tipped  with  u*on,  and  they  sometimes  have  the  bolas  and 

the  lasso.     They  are  excellent  horsemen,  riding  barebacked  with 

their  wife  and  cliildren,  all  on  the  same  animal,  and  all,  women 

and  men,  sitting  in  the  same  way.     They  use  no  bit,  contentmg 

themselves  with   a   piece  of  stick ;   they  make   reins  from  the 

fibres  of  the  caraguata. 

"  Their  olive  brown  colour,  darker  than  that  of  the  Tobas, 

tlieir  prominent  cheek-bones,  small  eyes,  broad  flat  faces,  slightly 

depressed  noses,  wide  mouths,  and  large  lips,  give  to  the  counte  • 

nance  of  these   savages  a  peculiar   look   which   is   not  a  little 

enhanced  by  a  pair  of  ears  that  come  down  to  the  base  of 

the  neck,  and  with  some  individuals  as  far  as  the  collar  bone. 

The  Lenguas,  like  all  Indians,  become  hideous  as  they  grow 

old. 


428  THE    RED    RACE. 

*^  A  few  weeks  had  passed  since  my  excursion  in  this  directioni 
when,  as  I  was  returning  to  Assumption  from  a  fresh  journey  into 
the  interior  of  the  country,  I  heard  tliat  the  Quartel  had  been  tbe 
object  of  a  completely  unforeseen  attack  on  the  part  of  the 
Cliaco  tribes,  and  that,  after  an  encounter  in  which  two  TtiiIimm 
had  lost  their  lives,  the  troops  had  been  able  to  recover  the  stolen 
cattle  and  to  take  some  x>nsonci*s,  who  were  immediately  sent 
on  to  the  capital,  where  they  were  confided  to  the  keeping  ol 
the  guard  at  tlie  cavalry  baiTack  near  the  arsenal  and  port.  A 
more  favourable  opportunity  could  not  have  offered  for  continuing 
and  completing  my  ethnological  studies,  so  the  next  day  I 
hastened  to  the  building. 

**  On  arriving  there  I  found  a  dozen  Indians  loaded  with  ironSf 
seated  here  and  there  in  the  centre  of  a  narrow  court.  Th^ 
were  covered  with  dirty  European  garments,  in  tattered  ponehoip 
or  draped  in  antic|ue  fasliion  with  wretched  blankets.  Two  boyif 
one  eight  and  the  other  fifteen  years  old,  were  among  the  prison- 
ers, and  all  seemed  sad  and  dejected.  They  preserved  a  profound 
silence,  which  I  had  some  trouble  to  make  them  break. 

*'  Side  by  side  with  the  Lenguas,  whom  I  had  seen  at  the 
Quartel,  tliere  were  some  Tobas  and  ^lachicuys ;  but  althon^ 
known  to  the  first,  my  interpreter  questioned  them  in  vain  as  to 
the  motive  of  their  attack. 

*'  The  Tol)as  are  generally  of  tall  and  erect  stature.  I 
measured  three  of  them,  and  found  tlieii'  height  to  be  respec- 
tively, 5  feet  10|  inches,  5  feet  8i  inches,  and  5  feet  6^  inches. 
Their  muscular  system  is  developed,  and  their  well-formed  limbsj 
like  those  of  all  the  other  nations  of  the  Chaco,  are  terminated  if 
hands  and  feet  which  would  cause  envy  to  an  Em'opean. 

*'  They  have  an  ordinary  forehead,  which  is  not  retreating; 
lively  eyes,  larger  tlian  those  of  the  Lenguas,  and  narrow  thin 
eyebrows.  The  iris  is  black,  and  they  do  not  pluck  out  their  eye- 
lashes. Their  long  regular  nose  is  rounded  at  tlie  end,  where  it 
Lccomes  shVhtly  enlarged,  and  tlicir  mouth,  which  is  a  little  tnmed 
up  at  the  angles,  is  better  proportioned  and  smaller  than  that 
of  the  Lenguas,  and  is  furnished  with  fine  teeth,  which  are  pre- 
served to  a  very  advanced  age.  Tliey  are  also  without  promi- 
nent dieek-boiios,  and  their  faces  are  not  so  broad  as  that  of 
the  otlier  nation. 

**  'I'lio  Tobas  seem  to  have  renounced  the  use  of  tlie  harbote, 


430  THE    RED    RACE. 

wliioli  at  the  time  of  Azara  tliey  still  wore,  and  none  of  them  had 
any  scar  on  the  lower  lip.  Their  ears  were  not  pierced.  They 
allow  their  hair  to  grow,  letting  it  float  freely  without  being  tied; 
a  few,  however,  cut  it  straight  across  the  forehead,  a  habit  which 
is  even  practised  by  some  of  the  women. 

"  The  colour  of  their  skin  is  an  olive  brown,  not  so  dark  as 
that  of  the  Lenguas,  and  contains  no  yellow  tint ;  but  I  confess 
to  the  great  difficulty  there  is  in  expressing  shades  so  varied 
in  hue. 

"Nothing  could  draw  the  prisoners  from  their  taciturnity; 
tlieir  countenances  remained  impassive,  cold,  and  serious  during 
all  our  questioning.  A  winning  smile  and  intei^esting  face 
are  attributed  by  some  travellers  to  the  women  while  still  young ; 
but  their  features  deteriorate  at  an  early  age,  and,  like  the 
men,  they  gi*ow  into  repulsive  ugliness.  Their  breasts,  which 
are  of  moderate  size  and  well  formed  at  first,  lengthen  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  enable  tliem  to  suckle  the  children  carried  on 
their  backs. 

**  The  Toba  nation  occupies,  or,  to  speak  more  accunitely, 
overruns  a  considerable  extent  of  the  Chaco  plains.  We  meet 
its  members  on  the  banks  of  the  Pilcomavo,  from  its  mouth  to 
the  first  spurs  of  the  Andes,  where  they  come  in  contact  witli  the 
Chiriguanos,  with  whom  they  are  often  at  war. 

"Being  usually  nomadic,  the  Tobas  occupy  themselves  in 
fishing  and  hunting ;  their  weapons  consist  of  arrows,  7U(ikana$, 
long  spears  witli  iron  points,  and  the  holas.  Some  of  their 
tribes,  more  settled  in  their  habits,  add  the  produce  of  agri- 
culture to  that  of  the  chase,  by  cultivating  maize,  manioc,  and 
potatoes. 

"  The  children  of  both  sexes  wear  no  covering ;  men  and 
women  roll  a  piece  of  cloth  round  their  loins,  or  envelope  them- 
selves in  a  cloak  made  from  the  skins  of  wild  animals.  Necklaces 
and  bracelets  of  glass  beads  or  small  shells  form  the  orna- 
ments of  the  females,  while  in  some  tribes  the  men  twine  round 
their  bodies  long  white  rows  of  beads,  composed  of  little  frag- 
ments of  shells  rounded  like  buttons,  and  strung  together  at 
regular  intervals." 

Machicuys. — Dr.  Demersay  does  not  share  the  opinion  ex- 
pressed  by  M.  d'Orbigny  that   the  Machicuys  may  be  nothing 


SOUTHERN   BRANCH.  431 

more  than  a  tribe  of  the  Tobas,  whose  language  they  perhaps 
speak.  According  to  the  first-named  traveller,  the  tongues  of 
the  two  nations  are  difierent,  and  other  distinctions  separate 
them. 

'*  The  Machicuys,'*  says  Dr.  Demersay,  "are  more  sedentary 
in  their  habits,  are  greater  tillers  of  the  soil,  and  are  endowed  with 
less  fierce  manners  than  the  Lenguas,  but  they  resemble  them 
in  the  extraordinary  dimensions  of  the  lobe  of  the  ears  as  well 
as  in  their  weapons  and  method  of  fighting.  Azara  says  that 
they  differ  in  the  shape  of  their  barbote,  which  is  said  to 
resemble  that  of  the  Charruas.  To  reiterate  an  observation 
we  have  already  made,  we  say  that  none  of  the  Machicuys  we 
have  seen  showed  any  marks  of  the  opening  intended  for 
the  reception  of  this  savage  ornament,  which  they  are  abandon- 
ing, after  the  example  of  the  Brazilian  Botocudos,  whilst 
certain  tribes  of  the  ancient  continent  religiously  preserve  it. 
In  the  same  way  the  Berrys,  a  black  nation  on  the  borders  of 
the  Saubat,  a  tributary  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Nile,  pierce 
their  lower  lip,  in  order  to  insert  a  piece  of  crj^stal  more  than 
an  inch  long. 

**  In  height,  formation,  and  proportions  the  Machicuys  are 
similar  to  the  Lenguas,  and  like  them  they  have  small  eyes, 
broad  faces,  large  mouths,  flat  noses,  and  wide  nostrils.  Their 
hair  is  allowed  to  hang  loosely,  and  its  thick  curls  partly  cover 
their  faces  and  fall  on  their  shoulders. 

**  The  language  of  these  nations,  like  that  of  all  the  Indians 
of  the  Chaco,  is  strongly  accentuated  and  full  of  sounds  that 
require  an  eff'ort  to  be  forced  from  the  nose  and  throat ;  it 
contains  double  consonants  extremely  difiicult  to  pronounce.'* 

Moxos  and  Chiquitos, — The  interior  and,  to  some  extent, 
central  regions  of  South  America  lying  north  of  tlie  Chaco,  have 
been  called  by  the  Spaniards  the  "  Provinces  of  the  Moxos  and 
Chiquitos,"  from  the  names  of  the  two  principal  families  of 
Indian  race  living  in  these  countries. 

The  Moxos  inhabit  vast  plains,  subject  to  fi'equent  inundations 
and  overrun  by  immense  streams,  on  which  they  are  constantly 
obUged  to  navigate  in  their  boats.  They  are  the  ichthyophagists 
of  the  river  districts  of  the  interior. 

The  land  of  the  Chiquitos  is  a  succession  of  mountains  incon- 


THE    RED    RACE. 


aiderable  in  height,  covered  with  forests  and  intersected  by 
numerous  small  rivers.     They  are  husbandmen  and  hsTe  fixed 


The  Chiquitos  hve  in  clans,  each  of  which  has  its  own  Uttle 


village.  The  men  go  about  naked,  but  the  women  wear  a  flowing 
garment,  which  they  like  to  ornament.  These  Indians  are  gifted 
with  a  happy  disposition  and  amiable  manners ;  they  are  sociable, 
hospitable,  inclined  to  gaiety,  and  passionately  fond  of  danc- 
ing and  music.  They  have  become  permanently  converted  to 
Christiani^.    Their  physical  characteristics  include  a  lai^e  and 


SOUTHERN   BBAKCH.  438 

spherical  head,  ahlost  always  circular,  a  ronndy  fall  &ce,  promi- 
nent cheekbones,  a  low,  arched  forehead,  a  short  nose,  slightly 
flattened  and  with  narrow  nostrils,  small  horizontal  eyes,  full  of 
expression  and  yiyacity,  thin  lips,  fine  teeth,  a  mediocre  mouth, 
little  beard,  and  long  black,  glossy  hair,  which  does  not  whiten  in 
extreme  old  age,  but  grows  yellow. 

The  manners  of  the  Moxos  are  strongly  analogous  to  those  of 
the  Chiquitos.  Their  colour  is  an  olive  brown,  and  their  stature 
of  the  average  height.  They  have  not  very  vigorous  limbs,  their 
nose  is  short  and  not  very  broad,  their  mouth  of  medium  size, 
their  lips  and  cheekbones  but  little  prominent ;  their  face  is  oval 
or  round,  and  their  countenances  mild  and  rather  merry*  This 
race  dwells  on  the  confines  of  Bolivia,  Peru,  and  Brazil. 

Before  the  conquest  these  tribes  were  established  on  the  banks 
of  the  rivers  and  lakes.  They  were  fishers,  hunters,  and  more 
especially  agriculturists.  The  chase  was  a  relaxation  for  them ; 
fishing  a  necessity;  husbandry  afibrded  tliem  provisions  and 
drinks.  Their  customs,  however,  were  barbarous.  Superstition 
made  a  Moxos  sacrifice  his  wife  in  case  she  miscarried,  and  his 
children  if  they  happened  to  be  twins.  The  mother  rid  herself  of 
her  offspring  \f  it  wearied  her.  Marriage  could  be  dissolved  at 
the  will  of  the  parties  to  it,  and  polygamy  was  frequent.  These 
Indians  were  all,  more  or  less,  warriors;  but  tradition  and  writings 
have  only  preserved  for  us  the  memorials  of  one  single  nation, 
the  members  of  which  were  cannibals  and  devoured  their 
prisoners.  The  counsels  of  the  missionaries  have  modified  the 
manners  of  this  people,  without  removing  all  its  savage  usages. 

Both  the  Moxos  and  the  Chiquitos  have  broad  shoulders, 
extremely  full  chests,  and  most  robust  bodies. 

Each  of  these  two  races  includes  a  certain  number  of  hordes 
which  we  see  no  necessity  for  alluding  to  particularly  here,  for 
their  half  wild  habits  resemble  those  of  the  tribes  we  have 
just  commented  on ;  and  for  similar  reasons  we  shall  pass  over 
in  silence  the  other  races  ranked  in  the  Pampean  family,  and  * 
whose  names  have  been  enumerated  in  a  preceding  page. 

GUARANY    FaMILT. 

The  Quarany  Family  is  spread  over  an  immense  space,  from 
the  Rio  de  La  Plata  as  far  as  the  Caribbean  Sea.    Its  principal 

F  F 


434  THE    RED    RACK 

charncteristics  consist  of  a  yellowish  complexion,  a  little  tinge 
witli  red,  a  middle  stature,  a  very  heavy  frame,  a  but  slight] 
arched  and  prominent  forehead,  oblique  eyes  turned  up  at  tl 
outer  angle,  a  short,  narrow  nose,  a  moderate-sized  mouth,  thi 
lips,  cheekbones  without  much  prominence,  a  round,  full  faci 

\  effeminate  featm^es,  and  a  pleasing  countenance. 

!  D'Orbigny  has  established  two  divisions  only  in  this  fanul; 

namely,  the  Gnaranis  and  the  Botocudos, 

! 

i  Gnaranis, — At  the  period  of  the  discover}'  of  South  America,  a 

j  that  portion  of  the  continent  lying  to  the  east  of  the  Paragua 

;■  imd  of  a  line  drawn  from  the  sources  of  that  river  to  the  delta  < 

j  the  Orinoco,  was  inhabited  by  numberless  indigenous  nation 

i  belonging  to  two  gi'eat  families.     One  of  these  families  was  thi 

of  the  Guaranis,  diffused  over  the  whole  of  Pai'aguay,  and  allie 
with  the  wild  tribes  of  Brazil ;  the  other  included  the  race 
occupying  the  more  northern  provinces,  and  extending  to  th 
gulf  of  Mexico.  The  Indians  appertaining  to  both  these  famihe 
^  strongly  resemble  each  other  in  features  as  well  as  complexioi 

\.  and  d'Orbigny  attributes   to  them  the  same  physical  t^'pe,  on 

'!  mai-ked  by  a  yellowish  colour,  medium  height,   foreheads  thj 

l;  do  not  recede,  and  eyes  frequently  oblique  and  always  raised  fl 

;  the  (Miter  angle. 

!  The   entirely  exceptional  aptitude  whicli  the  Guarany  natio 

has  evinced  for  entering  on   the   patli   of  social  improvement 

renders  it  one  of  tlie  most  interesting  in  South  America.     Th 

Southern  Gnarnnls,  or  natives  of  Paraguay,  include  at  the  sani 

^  time  the  tribes  who  have  submitted  to  the  sway  of  the  mission* 

f  in  the  establishments   which  the  Jesuits    have   formed    in   th 

comitry,  and  others  who  still  roam  in  freedom  throughout  th 

forests  of  that  province.     Besides  the  Guaranis,  properly  so  calle< 

:  who  are  all  Christians,  and  inhabit  thirty-two  rather  extensiv 

I  villages  situated  on  the   bordei's  of  tlie  Parana,  the  I.^araguaT 

and  the  Uruguay  rivers,  there  exists  a  certain  number  of  wil 

hordes  belonging  to  the  same  race,   who  remain  hidden  in  tli 

depths  of  the  woods.     These  tribes  bear  names  derived  in  mos 

'  instances  ft'om  tliose  of  the  rivers  or  mountains  in  whose  vicinit 

J  they  dwell,  and  among  the  principal  of  them  are  mentioned  th 

TopaSy  TobatinguaSy  Cayugu<i8,  Gadigxies,  Magachs,  etc. 
M.  Demersay,  who  has  visited  the  Jesuit  establishments  in  Para 


SOUTHEBN   BRANCH.  435 

goajy  also  trayersed  the  forests  inliabited  by  the  wild  races' of 
which  we  are  speaking,  and  the  results  of  his  observations  were 
published  by  him  in  the  "Tour  du  Monde"  in  1866.  We  shall 
avail  ourselves  here  of  those  parts  of  his  narrative  which  refer  to 
the  savage  nations  of  Paraguay. 

"  The  history  of  the  American  races,"  says  M.  Demersay, 
"  might  be  comprised  in  a  few  pages.  Some  have  accepted  the 
semi-servitude  which  the  conquerors  imposed  on  them;  the 
others,  more  rebellious,  preferred  to  struggle,  and  have  been 
destroyed ;  those  who  stiU  struggle  will  also  perish.  The  nations 
which  chose  subjection  rather'  than  death,  have,  by  mingling  their 
blood  in  strong  proportions  with  that  of  the  Europeans,  only  dis- 
appeared as  a  race  in  order  to  enter  as  an  integral  and  sometimes  ^ 
dominant  element  into  the  American  nationalities.  The  great 
family  of  the  Guaranis  forms  the  most  striking  example  of  this 
intimate  fusion  offered  to  the  notice  of  the  ethnologist. 

"But  in  its  midst,  side  by  side  with  the  unsubdued  hordes  of 
the  Grand  Chaco,  so  remarkable  for  their  fine  proportions,  there 
exists  yet  another  tribe,  small  in  numbers,  whose  ranks  grow 
thinner  every  day,  and  which  on  the  eve  of  its  disappearance,  hsif' 
bequeathed  intact  to  the  present  generation,  along  with  its 
complete  independence,  its  creeds,  its  customs,  and  the  glorious 
traditions  of  its  ancestors. 

"  At  the  time  of  their  discover}',  the  Payaguas,  as  this  valiant 
race  is  called,  were  divided  into  two  tribes,  the  Oadigues  and  the 
Magachsy  who  lived  on  the  banks  and  numerous  islands  of  the 
Rio  Paraguay,  towards  21**  and  25®  S.  latitude.  Their  dwelling 
places  were  by  no  means  fixed ;  masters  of  the  river  and  jealous 
of  its  control,  they  started  from  Lake  Xarayes,  and  made  distant 
excursions  on  the  Parana  as  far  as  Corrientes  and  Santa  Fe  on 
one  side,  and  to  Salto  Chico  on  the  other. 

"  A  rather  rational  etymology  which  has  been  proposed  for  the 
name  of  these  Indians,  is  that  of  the  two  Guarany  words  *  pai  * 
and  '  aguaa,'  which  signify,  '  tied  to  the  oar/  a  meaning  quite 
in  imison  with  their  habits.  In  the  term  '  Paraguay,'  applied 
as  the  denomination  of  the  river,  before  it  became  the  name  of 
the  province,  some  have  wished  to  perceive  a  corruption  of 
'Payagua,*  a  likely  enough  derivation,  and  one  which  seems  to 
us  highly  admissible. 

"Whatever  there  may  be  in  this  supposition,  the  value  of 

F  FS 


436  THE  BED   RACK 

which  we  shall  not  discuss  here,  this  unconquered  and  crafty 
nation  was  during  two  centuries  the  most  redoubtable  adyersaiy 
of  the  Spaniards.  The  writers  on  the  conquest,  the  works  of 
Azara,  the  '  Historical  Essay '  of  Funes,  and  numerous  docu- 
ments preserved  in  the  archives  of  Assumption,  contain  a  recital 
of  their  daring  enterprises. 

"...  AVhat  their  numbers  were  in  the  first  half  of  the  XYItli 
century  it  is  impossible  to  say  with  certainty;  but  the  oU 
narratives,  which  do  not  seem  on  this  point  to  deserve  the 
reproach  of  exaggeration  more  than  once  and  with  justice 
attributed  to  them,  estimate  them  as  no  fewer  than  several 
thousand  combatants.  In  Azara's  time  the  entire  tribe  scarcely 
reckoned  a  thousand  souls,  and  at  the  present  day  it  cannot  count 
two  hundred. 

"Their  stature  is  remarkable,  and  unquestionably  surpassei 
that  of  most  nations  of  the  globe.  The  measurements  of  eight 
individuals,  taken  at  random,  would  justify  the  application  of  this 
epithet  to  the  Payaguas,  as  they  gave  me  an  average  of  5ft,  Sin. 
The  women's  height  is  no  less  stiiking  :  that  of  four  females  over 
twenty  was — the  first  and  second,  5  feet ;  the  third,  5  feet  2  inches^ 
and  the  foiu'th,  5  feet  SJ  inches ;  or  an  average  of  5  feet  1 J  inches. 
Many  conclusions  may  be  drawn  fi'om  this  double  series  of 
measurements.  On  comparing  the  average  stature  of  the  Pay- 
aguas with  that  of  mankind  in  general,  which  physiologists  agree 
in  fixing  at  about  5  feet  6  inches,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  diffe- 
rence in  favom*  of  the  former  is  no  less  than  3  inches.  And 
fuilher,  if  we  place  in  compai'ison  the  measurements  taken  by 
accurate  travellers  of  the  races  which  pass  for  the  tallest  on  the 
globe,  of  tlie  Patagonians  for  instance,  we  find  that  their  averaga 
height  as  stated  by  M.  d'Orbigny  is  5  feet  7  inches,  Consequenti^f 
the  Payaguas  actually  suq)ass  by  two  inches  the  height  of  a  raoa 
vliich  has  from  time  immemorial  been  regarded  as  fabulously  ^^r 

"  The  Payaguas  are  invariably  lanky,  none  but  the  women  ever 
showing  signs  of  corpulence.  Their  shoulders  are  broad  and  the 
muscles  of  their  chests,  arms,  and  backs  display  a  development 
produced  by  constant  use  of  the  oar,  for  they  live  in  their  canoes; 
but,  as  a  species  of  compensation,  the  predominance  of  the  pro- 
portions of  the  upper  limbs  causes  the  Ibwer  extremities  to  appear 
slight  and  meagi'e. 

"  Their  skin,  smooth  and  soft  to  the  touch,  like  that  of  the 


SOUTHERN   BRANCa 


natives  of  the  New  Continent,  is  of  an  olive-brown  shade,  which 
it  would  he  difficult  to  define  more  accurately.    It  seems  some* 


438  THE   BED    RACE. 

what  lighter  than  that  of  the  Guaranis,  and  does  not  exhibit  the 
same  yellowish  or  Mongolian  tints. 

"  The  Payaguas  carry  their  massive  heads  erect,  and  have  an 
abundant  supply  of  long,  straight,  or  slightly  curly  hair,  which 
they  cut  across  the  foreheads,  and  never  comb,  allowing  it  to  grow 
and  fall  about  them  in  disorder.  The  young  warriors  alone  partly 
gather  it  at  the  back  of  the  crown  where  it  is  tied  by  a  little  red 
string,  or  by  a  strap  cut  from  a  monkey  skin.  A  similar  custom 
obtains  among  the  Guatos  of  Cuyaba,  who,  we  may  say  inci- 
dentally, have  more  resemblance  to  this  nation  than  to  theGuaranis, 
though  a  learned  classification  has  placed  them  side  by  side  with 
the  latter.  Their  small,  keen  eyes,  a  little  conti*acted  but  not 
turned  up  at  the  outer  angle,  have  an  expression  of  cunning  and 
shi-ewdness,  and  the  lines  of  the  long  slightly  roimded  nose  recall 
the  Caucasian  conformation  to  the  mind.  Their  cheekbones  are 
but  little  prominent ;  their  lower  lip  protrudes  beyond  the  upper, 
thus  imparting  to  theii*  gi'ave  and  impressive  countenances  an 
expression  of  scornful  pride,  well  in  keeping  with  the  character 
of  this  unsubdued  race. 

"  The  women  when  young  are  well-propoi-tioned  without  being 
slight,  but  they  fatten  early,  their  features  become  deformed,  and 
their  figures  grow  squat  and  dumpy.  To  atone  for  this,  however, 
theu'  hands  and  feet  always  retain  a  remarkable  smallness, 
although  they  walk  barefooted  and  take  no  care  whatever  of  their 
persons.  I  have  also  observed  this  delicate  formation,  a  distinc- 
tion which  Em'opean  ladies  covet  so  much,  among  the  tribes  of 
the  Chaco,  who  are,  T\dth  the  Payaguas,  the  finest  in  America. 
Their  hair  is  allowed  to  float  about  the  shoulders  and  is  never 
confined. 

*' A  young  girl  on  emerging  from  childhood  undergoes  tattooing. 
By  means  of  a  thorn  and  the  fruit  of  the  genipa,  a  bluish  streak, 
about  half  an  inch  wide,  is  drawn  perpendiculai-ly  across  the 
forehead  and  down  the  nose  as  far  as  the  upper  lip ;  and 
when  she  marries  this  stripe  is  prolonged  over  the  under  Up  to 
below  the  chin.  Its  shades  vary  from  violet  to  a  slate-coloured 
blue,  and  its  marks  are  indelible.  Some  women  add  other  lines 
to  this,  as  well  as  designs  traced  with  the  flaming  tint  of 
iiie[urucu;  this  latter  fashion,  however,  though  general  half  a 
centm-y  ago,  and  which  Azara  describes  minutely,  has  become 
more  and  more  uncommon. 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  439 

**  The  Payaguas  go  about  naked  in  their  tents  (toldos),  but 
out  of  doors  they  wear  a  small  cotton  garment  encircling 
them  from  the  pit  of  the  stomach  to  just  below  the  knee. 
This  piece  of  cloth  which  they  lap  round  their  bodies  in  the 
style  of  the  chiripa  of  the  Creoles,  is  one  of  the  few  produc- 
tions of  their  ingenuity.  Its  manufactm*e  devolves  upon  the 
women,  and  they  make  it  with  no  other  help  than  that  of  their 
fingers,  without  using  either  shuttle  or  loom.  Some  others 
content  themselves  with  a  short  shirt,  devoid  of  collar  or  sleeves, 
rather  lilie  the  tipoy  of  the  Guarany.  Nevertheless  the  use  of 
clothing  seems  to  become  every  day  more  famiUar  to  all  of 
them ;  and  amongst  those  I  saw  roaming  through  the  streets 
of  Assumption  not  one  was  satisfied,  as  in  former  times,  with 
covering  his  limbs  with  paintings  representing  vests  and 
breeches. 

'*  Other  ancient  customs  have  also  disappeared,  such  as  that 
which  the  men  had  of  wearing,  as  the  case  might  be,  either  the 
barbote  or  a  little  silver  rod  analogous  to  the  temheta  of  the  wild 
Guaranis  or  Cayaguas.  Others  are  only  resumed  at  rare  intervals 
or  at  certain  epochs,  on  which  solemn  occasions  long  tufts  of 
feathers  fixed  on  the  top  of  the  head  are  seen  to  reappear,  and  all 
manner  of  fanciful  patteras  tattooed  in  bright  colours  on  face, 
arm,  and  breast ;  as  well  as  necklaces  of  beads  or  shells,  and 
lastly  bracelets  of  the  claws  of  cajnvaras,  rolled  roimd  wiist  and 
ankle.  But  the  tradition  of  this  elaborate  ornamentation  has 
been  religiously  preserved  by  the  paye  or  medicine-man  of  the 
tribe. 

**  The  Payaguas  live  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rio  Pai'aguay. 
They  never  take  up  their  abode  on  the  oj^posite  side,  where  the 
Indians  of  Chaco,  with  whom  they  are  always  at  war,  would  not 
be  slow  to  attack  them.  Theu*  principal  hut  (tolderia)  is  erected 
on  the  river's  edge,  and  consists  of  a  large,  oblong  cabin  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  feet  liigh,  and  made  with  bamboos  laid  on  forked 
poles  and  covered  over  with  implaited  cane  mats.  Jaguar  or 
capivaras'  skins  are  spread  on  the  ground  for  beds,  and  weapons 
and  fishing  and  household  utensils  hang  on  the  posts  sustaining 
the  frail  roofing  of  the  dwelling,  or  lie  pell-mell  with  earthen 
vessels,  in  a  comer. 

'*  .  •  •  The  very  limited  occupation  of  this  people  constitutes 
nevertheless  their  sole  resource,  for  they  are  perfectly  ignorant  of 


440  THE    RED    RACE. 

liaabandiy,  and  cultivate  neither  maize,  potatoes,  nor  tobacco. 
They  are  fishermen,  spend  their  lives  on  the  water,  and  become 
early  in  life  very  expert  sailors.  Sometimes  they  are  to  be  seen 
in  the  stem  of  a  canoe,  letting  it  iloat  with  the  current  while 
watching  their  lines ;  at  another,  standing  upright  in  a  row, 
they  bend  to  their  oars  in  good  time  and  make  the  litUe  craft 


fly  along  witJi  tlie  swiftness  of  au  aiTow.  Their  boats  are 
from  five  to  a  little  over  six  feet  in  lengtli,  and  between  two 
and  a  half  to  three  feet  wide ;  they  are  hollowed  from  the 
trunk  of  a  tlmbo,  and  terminate  in  a  long  tapering  point  at 
each  end. 

"  Their  paddles  are  sharpened  like  lances,  and  form  in  their 
hands  very  formidable  weapons,  to  which  must  be  added  bows  and 
arrows,  as  well  as  the  macaita.  They  are  cruel  in  warfare,  and 
grant  no  quarter  except  to  women  and  children.     Their  method 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  441 

of  fighting  shows  no  peculiarity.  They  attack  the  Indians  of  the 
Chaco  by  falling  upon  them  unawares  and  endeavouring  to  surprise 
them,  but  they  take  good  care  not  to  move  far  from  the  rivers, 
for  tliose  tribes  of  famous  horsemen  would  soon  overcome  them 
in  the  open  country. 

"  This  nation,  as  the  reader  has  doubtless  surmised,  lives  in  a 


state  of  absolute  liberty  and  complete  independence  of  the 
government  of  the  Paraguayan  Republic,  which  imposes  neitlier 
tax  nor  statute  labour  upon  it,  but  on  tlie  contrarj'  pa3's  tlie 
Paya'guas  for  any  services  that  ai-e  exacted  of  them,  whether 
as  messengers  on  tlie  river  or  as  guides  in  the  expeditions 
directed  against  the  wild  hordes  that  wander  along  the  right 
bank. 

"...  Being  desirous  to  become  acquainted  with,  and  to  be 
able  to  sketch  at  my  ease,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  savage  luxoi^' 
of  his  garb,  the  individual  who  was  enti-usted  with  these  func- 


442  THE    RED    RACE. 

tions,  I  contrived  to  get  him  to  come  to  my  house  arrajed 
the  emblems  of  his  high  dignity  and  accompanied  by  some  oth 
Indians.      The   promise   of  a   certain   quantity  of  his  beIov< 
liquor,  coupled  with  the  prospect  of  an  evening's  drunkepneG 
speedily  pot  the  better  of  his  reluctance. 

"  On  the  day  named  the  paye  came  to  see  me.  He  was  an  o 
man,  somewhat  bent  with  years,  but  with  nothing  repulsive  in  1 
countenance,  notwithstanding  the  disfiguration  of  the  feature 
which  is  always  prematiu-e  and  so  remarkable  among  the  native 
His  hail*  was  still  black  and  confined  in  a  fillet  bordered  wi 
beadwork,  over  which  was  a  tuft  of  feathers,  while  nandu  plum 
waved  behmd  his  head ;  a  necklace  of  bivalve  shells  was  on  1 
neck,  and  from  it  hung,  as  a  trophy,  a  whistle  made  from  the  an 
bone  of  an  enemy.  He  was  quite  naked  beneath  his  sleevele 
and  coUarless  vest  which  consisted  of  two  jaguar-skins,  and  wo 
sti'ings  of  cai)ivaras'  claws  round  his  ankles.  Finally,  his  rig 
hand  contained  an  elongated  gourd,  and  he  held  in  his  left  a  loi 
tube  of  hard  wood,  which  I  had  some  difiiculty  in  recognizing 
a  pipe. 

"  The  curtain  rises.  The  sorcerer  gave  the  pipe  to  1 
companion,  whose  duty  consisted  in  lighting  it,  and,  taking 
again,  inhaled  several  puffs  which  he  blew  noisily  into  the  calaba 
through  the  orifice  bored  in  it ;  then,  without  removing  it  frc 
his  lips,  he  begim  shouting,  sometimes  slowly  and  sometini 
rapidly,  uttering  alternately  the  syllables  'ta,  ta',  and  *to,  1 
'  to',  with  extraordinaiy,  inexpressible,  reiterations  of  voice  a 

piercing  yells.  He  gave  way  at  the  same  time  to  violent  conU 
tions,  and  executed  a  measm*ed  series  of  leaps,  now  on  o 
foot,  and  now  on  both  joined  together.  This  peifonnance  d 
not  last  any  length  of  time,  and  on  a  pretext  of  fatigue  he  ^ 
not  long  without  commg  to  a  stand-still.  A  bumper  was  ind 
pensable  in  order  to  set  him  on  his  legs  again,  and  the  monotone 
chant  immediately  recommenced. 

**  My  drawings  being  finished,  I  at  last  broke  up  the  sitting 
the  geneml  satisfaction  of  my  guests,  and  dismissed  them,  havi 
first  pmThased  his  pipe  and  whistle  from  the  paye.     The  fom 
article  was  made  of  hard  and  heavy  wood  and  covered  wdth  regu 
J  tracings  engraved  on  the  surface  witli  a  good  deal  of  skill. 

p  was  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  ornamented  witli  gilt  nails,  a 

■  pierced  by  a  tube  which  was  widened  at  one  end  and  terminal 


BOUTHEBH  BRANCR  448 

at  the  other  by  a  month-piece.  This  pipe  is  also  to  be  found 
among  other  neighbouring  nations,  as  well  as  among  the  Tobas 
and  IbUacos  on  the  banks  of  the  Pilcomayo.  It  gives  an 
idea  of  those  enormom  oigazB  made  iraia  a  roll  of  palm  or 
tobacco  leaves,  which  played  so  important  a  part  in  Brazil,  in 
the  ceremonies  of  the  Tapinambas,  and  among  the  Carsibs  of 
the  Antilles,   on  all  occasions  when  the  qoestion  of  peace   or 


war  had  to  be  decided,  when  the  shades  of  ancestors  were  to 
be  conjnred  up,  etc.,  and  which  the  first  navigators  mistook  for 
torches." 

The  Western  Qvaranw  include  the  tiibes  known  by  the  names 
of  Guarayis,  Chirignanos,  and  Cirionos,  the  firat  of  which  have 
been  converted  by  the  Jesuits.  Between  the  province  of  the  Chi- 
quitos  end  that  of  the  Moxos  there  are  still  some  hordes  of  wild 
Ooarayis.  The  uncivilized  Chirignanos  are  barbarians,  very 
formidable  to  their  neighbours.  The  natives  of  a  hundred  and 
taxty  villages  of  the  Andes,  comprised  between  the  great  Chaco 
river  and  that  of  Mi^yo,  in  the  province  of  Santa  Cms  de  la 


444  THE   RED   RACE. 

Sierra,  speak  the  Guarany  language  in  all  its  purity.  The 
barbarous  Cirionos,  among  whom  a  dialect  of  that  tongue  is  in 
use,  dwell  to  the  north  of  Santa  Cruz. 

The  Eastern  Guaranis  of  Brazil  include  the  Brazilian  abori- 
gines. The  general  language  of  the  countr}*  does  not  seem  to 
differ  more  from  Guarany,  than  Portuguese  does  from  Spanish. 
The  CaryiSy  Tameyiy  Tapinaquis,  Timmimnes,  Tabayaris,  Tupin- 
amh'iSj  Apontisy  Tajngoas,  and  several  other  tiibes  occupy  the 
maritime  distiicts  situated  to  the  south  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Amazon,  speaking  the  Tupi  tongue  with  little  or  no  altera- 
tion. 

During  their  voyage  to  Brazil,  of  which  an  account  was 
published  in  the  "  Tour  du  Monde,"  in  1868,  M.  and  Madanie 
Agftssiz  visited  many  Indian  tribes,  and  examined  tlieir  habita- 
tions in  the  midst  of  the  Avoods.  We  extract  a  few  pages  from 
their  description. 

**We  aiTive  at  the  sitio,'*  writes  Madame  Agassiz,  "and 
disembark.  These  dwellings  are  usuall}'  located  on  the  banks 
of  a  hike  or  river,  Avithin  a  stone's  throAv  of  the  shore  in  order 
that  fishing  and  bathing  may  be  better  within  reach.  But  this 
one  Avas  more  retired,  beuig  placed  nt  the  extremity  of  a  pretty 
by-path  winding  beneath  the  trees,  and  on  the  summit  of  a  little 
hill,  the  slopes  of  which  at  the  other  side  plimged  into  a  broad 
and  deep  ravine  thrtnigh  wliich  Howed  a  rivulet.  The  gromid 
bevond  rose  undulatinpf  in  uneven  lines,  on  which  an  eve  ac- 
customed  to  the  unifonnly  flat  country  of  the  upper  Amazon 
ciumot  rest  without  i)leasure.  Wait  for  the  time  of  the  i"ams, 
and  the  brook,  swollen  by  the  increase  of  the  river,  will  almost 
bathe  the  foot  of  the  house,  which,  from  the  top  of  the  little 
eminence,  at  present  commands  the  valley  and  the  embanked  bed 
of  the  tiny  stream.  Great,  consequently,  is  the  difference  between 
the  ai)peai'ance  of  the  same  jdaces  in  the  dry  and  the  Avet  seasons. 
The  residence  consists  of  several  buildings,  the  most  remarkable 
of  which  is  a  long  open  hall  in  Avhich  the  brancas  (whites)  of 
Manaos  and  of  the  neighbourhood  dance  when  they  come,  as 
is  not  infrequent,  to  spend  the  night  at  the  sitio,  in  high 
festiA'ity. 

"  I  learned  these  particulars  from  the  old  Indian  lady  who  did 
me  the  honours  of  the  house.  A  low  wall,  from  three  to  four 
feet  in  height,    skirted    this   shed.     At    its   sides    and   along 


SOUTHERN    BRANCH.  445 

tlie  whole  length  were  placed  raised  wooden  Beats,  and  both 
ends  were  closed  from  floor  to  roof  by  thick  blinds  made  of 
glittering  palm-leaves,  as  fine  as  they  were  handsome,  and  of 
a  pretty  straw  colour.  In  a  comer  we  found  an  immense 
embroidery  loom  (Penelope's  was  doubtless  like  it),  which 
was  occupied  at  the  moment  by  a  hammock  of  palm  fibre, 
an  unfinished   work   of  the  '  senliora  dona',  or  mistress  of  the 


house,  who  allowed  me  to  see  the  way  in  which  she  used  the 
machine.  She  squatted  herself  on  a  little  low  bench,  in  front 
of  the  frame,  and  showed  me  that  the  two  rows  of  cross 
tlireads  were  separated  by  a  thick  piece  of  polished  wood  in 
the  sliape  of  a  flat  rule.  The  shuttle  is  thrown  between  these 
two  tlu-eads  and  the  woof  is  drawn  close  by  a  sharp  blow  of  the 
tliick  rule.  I  was  then  led  to  admire  some  hammocks  of  vai-ious 
colours  and  textures  which  were  being  arranged  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  visitors,  and  whilst  the  men  set  oflf  to  bathe  in 


448  THE    BED    BACK 

tlie  brook,  I  went  tJirougk  the  rest  of  the  lodge  with  our  hostess 
and  her  daughter,  a  verj-  pretty  Indian.  The  direction  of  erery- 
thing  devolves  on  the  elder  of  the  two  ladies;  the  master  is 
absent,  as  he  holds  a  captain's  commission  in  the  army  operating 
against  Faraguar. 


"  On  the  same  carcfiilly-kept  piece  of  ground  where  the  hall  I 
have  described  is  situated,  tliere  are  several  casinhas  or  small 
buildings,  more  or  less  close  to  each  other,  which  are  covered 
with  thatt'h,  and  merely  consist  of  a  single  apartment  (fig.  198). 
Then  conies  a  larger  cottage,  with  earthen  walls  and  bare  floor, 
containing  two  or  three  rooms,  and  with  a  wooden  verandah  in 
front.  This  is  the  private  abode  of  the  senhora.  A  little  lower 
don'n  the  hill  is  the  manioc  sifting-bouse,  with  all  its  apparatus. 


199.— KE0R03   0 


448  THE   RED    RACE. 

No  place  could  be  better  kept  than  the  courtyard  of  this  sitio, 
where  two  or  three  uegresses  have  just  been  set  to  work  with 
brooms  of  thin  branches  in  their  hands. 

"  The  manioc  and  cocoa  plantation  surrounds  these  buildingB^ 
with  a  few  coffee  trees  peeping  out  here  and  there.  There  is  a 
difficulty  in  judging  of  the  extent  of  these  fiArmSy  as  they  are 
in'eguhir,  and  comprise  a  certain  variety  of  plants ;  manioCy  cocoa, 
coffee,  and  even  cotton  being  cultivated  together  in  confusion. 
But  tliis  pai*t  of  the  estate,  like  all  the  rest  of  the  establishment, 
seemed  lai'ger  and  better  cared  for  than  those  usually  seen.  As 
we  were  departing,  our  Indiim  hostess  brought  me  a  nice  basket 
iilled  with  eggs  and  ahacatys^  or  alligators  pears,  according 
to  the  local  name.  We  retm*ned  home  just  in  time  for  the  ten 
o'clock  meal,  which  draws  everyone  togetlier,  both  idlers  and 
workers.  The  sportsmen  had  returned  from  the  forest,  laden 
with  tuoimas,  parrots,  paroquets,  and  a  great  variety  of  other 
birds,  while  the  fislieniien  brought  fresh  treasures  for  M. 
Agassiz. 

"  We  left  the  dinner-table,  and  while  taking  coffee  under  the 
trees,  the  president  proposed  an  excm'sion  on  the  lake  at  sunset. 
....  The  little  craft  glided  between  the  glowing  sunset  and 
the  glitter  of  the  deep  sheet  of  water,  seemmg  to  borrow  its  hues 
from  each.  It  raj^idly  drew  near,  and  was  soon  quite  close,  when 
a  burst  of  joyous  shouts  broke  forth,  and  was  merrily  responded 
to  by  us.  Then  side  by  side  the  two  boats  descended  the  stream 
together,  the  guitar  i)assiiij^  from  one  to  the  other,  as  Braadlian 
songs  alternated  with  Indian  airs.  Nothing  could  possibly  be 
imagined  bearing  the  natiiaial  impress  more  strongly  marked, 
more  deei^ly  imbued  Avith  tropicnl  tints,  more  characteristic,  in 
line,  than  this  scene  o\\  the  lake.  When  we  arrived  at  the  landing- 
place  the  rosy  and  gold-tinged  mists  had  become  transformed 
into  a  mass  of  white  ov  ashen-grey  vapour,  the  last  rays  of  the 
sun  were  fled,  and  tlie  moon  was  shining  at  its  full.  In  ascending 
the  gentle  slope  of  the  hill,  someone  suggested  a  dance  on  the 
<:jrass,  and  the  young  Indian  girls  formed  a  quadrille.  Although 
civilization  had  mingled  its  usages  with  their  native  customs,  there 
were  yet  many  origuial  traits  in  their  movements,  and  this  con- 
ventional dance  was  deprived  of  much  of  its  artificial  character.  At 
length  we  retm^ned  to  the  house,  where  danciug  and  singing 
recommenced,  whilst  grc>u])s  seated  on  the  ground  here  and  there 


450  THE    RED    RACE. 

laughed  and  chatted,  all,  men  and  women,  smoking  with  the  same 
gusto.  The  use  of  tobacco,  almost  universal  among  females  of 
the  lower  class,  is  not  altogether  confined  to  them.  More  than 
one  senhora  delights  to  puff  her  cigarette  as  she  rocks  in  her 
hammock  during  the  warm  hours  of  the  day.*'  Fig.  200  repre- 
sents some  natives  of  French  Guyana,  who  closely  resemble  the 
Brazilian  negroes  we  have  just  mentioned. 

The  Ouragas  are  affiliated  to  the  Brazilio-Guarany  race,  with 
a  few  other  tribes  very  closely  allied  to  them.  They  form  one  of 
the  nations  most  widely  spread  over  the  northern  parts  of  South 
America.  They  were  formerly  in  possession  of  the  banks  and 
islands  of  the  Amazon  river  for  a  distance  of  five  hundred  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Nabo. 

The  Caribbee  race  has  a  close  affinity  to  the  Guarany.  The 
Indians  Avho  have  given  their  name  to  tliis  group,  one  of  the 
most  numerous  and  extensivelv  scattered  of  the  southern 
continent,  are  those  celebrated  Caribs  who  in  the  sixteenth 
centm'y  occupied  all  the  islands  from  Porto  Rioo  to  Trinidad, 
and  the  wliole  of  tlie  Atlantic  coast  comprised  between  the 
mouth  of  the  Orinoco  and  that  of  the  Amazon,  that  is  to  say, 
as  far  as  the  Brazilian  frontier. 

The  TamanacB  belong  to  the  same  family,  and  live  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  Orinoco,  but  their  numbers  are  at  the  pre- 
sent day  greatly  reduced.  The  same  remark  applies  to  the 
Arawacs  or  AraocaSy  to  the  Guaranns,  who  ai'e  said  to  build 
their  houses  upon  trees,  to  the  Guayquerias,  Ctnnanogott, 
Phariagots,  Chagmas,  &c.  Humboldt  has  written  of  the 
latter : — 

"The  expression  of  countenance  of  the  Chaymas,  withont 
being  harsh  and  fierce,  has  in  it  something  sedate  and  gloomy. 
The  forehead  is  small  and  but  little  prominent;  the  eyes  arc 
black,  sunken,  and  lengthy,  being  neither  so  obliquely  set  nor 
so  small  as  those  of  the  Mongolian  race.  Yet  the  comers  per- 
ceptibly slant  upwards  towards  the  temples ;  the  eyebrows  are 
black  or  dark  brown,  thin,  and  not  much  arched ;  the  lids  fringed 
with  very  long  eyelashes ;  and  their  habit  of  drooping  them,  as  ii 
heavy  with  languor,  softens  the  women's  look  and  makes  the  eye 
thus  veiled  appear  smaller  than  it  really  is." 


SOUTHERN   BBA2TCH. 


4SI 


The  BotocndoB  (fig.  201)  who  dwell  roimd  the  Bio  Doce. 
in  Brazil,  hare  been  cannibalB,  and  are  atill  to  the  i^esent  day 
the  most  savage  of  all  AmericEins.  They  wear  collars  of  hninaB 
teeth  as  ornaments.  Perpetually  wandering  and  completely 
naked,  they  take  a  pleaaore 
in  adding  to  their  natural 
ugliness,  and  impart  a  more 
repulsive  appearance  to  their 
countenances  by  a  habit  they 
have  of  slitting  their  under 
lip  and  ears,  in  order  to  in- 
troduce "  borbotea  "  into  the 
openings  thus  made. 

In  his  "Travels  inBrazil," 
M.  Biard  saw  some  Boto- 
cudos.  One,  who  seemed  to 
him  to  be  the  chief,  carried, 
like  bis  companions,  in  an 
opening  in  the  lower  lip, 
a  "  barbote  "  consisting  of  a 
bit  of  wood  somewhat  larger  201.— Borocniwa. 

than    a    five -shilling    piece. 

He  made  use  of  this  projection  as  a  little  table,  cutting  up  on 
it,  with  the  traveller's  knife,  a  morsel  of  smoked  meat  which  had 
then  only  to  be  sUpped  into  his  mouth.  This  method  of  utilizing 
the  lip  as  a  table  struck^M.  Biard  as  thoroughly  original.  The 
comrades  of  this  Botocados  had  also  large  pieces  of  wood  in  the 
lobes  of  their  ears. 


CHAPTER  n. 

NORTHERN  BRANCH. 

The  members  of  the  North  American  Branch  present  more 
decided  dififerences  among  themselves  than  those  in  the  southern 
division,  so  far  as  race  is  concerned,  but  their  characteristics  are 
merged  one  in  the  other.  Nevertheless,  the  popuhitions  inhabit- 
ing respectively  the  south,  the  north-east,  and  the  north-west  can 
be  considered  as  forming  so  many  distinct  families,  which  we  shall 
pass  in  review  in  succession. 

Southern  Family. 

The  southern  family  of  the  Northern  Branch  still  preserves 
much  resemblance  to  tlie  families  of  the  southern  branch  which 
we  have  just  been  considering.  The  complexion  of  its  members 
is  rather  fair,  the  forehead  depressed,  and  the  figure  tolerably  well 
proportioned. 

This  group  embraces  a  great  number  of  tribes  speaking 
different  languages,  peculiar  to  the  central  part  of  the  northern 
contuient.  The  principal  among  tliese  nations  are  the  A::t^c8f  or 
primitiA'e  Mexicans,  and  the  Moi/a  and  Lenca  Indians. 

Aztecs. — ^\Vhen  the  Sj^aniards  landed  in  Mexico,  they  found 
there  a  people  whose  customs  were  far  removed  from  those 
of  savage  life.  They  were  very  exi)ert  in  the  practice  of 
diiferent  useful  and  ornamental*  arts,  and  their  knowledge  was 
ratlier  extensive,  but  thorough  cruelty  could  always  be  laid  to 
their  charge. 

The  Aztecs  were  intelligent  and  hard-working  cultivators. 
They  knew  how  to  w^ork  mines,  prepare  metals,  and  set  precious 
stones  as  ornaments.     Superb  monuments  had  been  erected  by 


NORTHERN   BRANCH.  US 

them,  and  they  possessed  a  written  langoage  which  preseired  the 
meawrials  of  their  history.  Those  who  dwelt  in  the  region  of  the 
present  Mexico  were  advanced  in  the  sciences ;  they  were  pro- 
foundly imbued  with  the  seutiment  of  religion ;  and  their  sacred 
ceremonies  were  full  of  pomp,  but  accompanied  by  expiatory 
sacrifices  revolting  in  their  barbarism.  They  carried  their  annals 
back  to  very  remote  antiquity.     These  amiab  were  traced  in 


;!U2.— I»DIAH    or   THE 


historical  paintings,  the  traditional  explanation  of  which  was 
imparted  by  the  natives  to  some  of  their  conquerors,  as  well  as  to 
a  few  Spanish  and  Italian  ecdesiasUcB. 

The  principal  events  recorded  in  these  archives  relate  to  the 
migrations  of  three  different  nations,  who,  leaving  the  distant 
regions  of  the  north-west,  arrived  snccessively  in  Anahnac. 
They  were  the  ToUeei,  Chielamecaa,  and  NahaaiAaeat,  divided 
into  seven  distinct  tribes,  one  irf  which  was  that  of  the 
Aztecs,    or    Mexicans.      The    country   whence    the    first   of 


4M  THE   RED    RACE. 

these    people    came    was    called    Haehuetlapallan,    and    they 


203,    S04.— INSIINS    or    TBK    MEXICAN    COAST. 

commenced  their  exodus  in  the  year  644  of  our  era.     Pestilence 


NORTHERN  BRANCH.  455- 

decimated  them  in  1051,  and  they  then  wandered  southwards, 
but  a  few  remained  at  Tula.  The  Chichimecas,  a  barbarous 
race,  an-ived  in  Mexico  in  the  year  1070,  and  the  incursion 
of  the  Nahuatlacas,  who  spoke  the  same  language  as  the  Toltecs, 
took  place  ver}'^  soon  afterwards.  The  Aztecs,  or  Mexicans, 
sepai-ated  themselves  from  the  other  nations,  and  in  1325  they 
founded  Mexico.  In  a  word,  the  former  inhabitants  of  Mexico 
were  immigrants  from  a  country  situated  towards  the  north,  on 
the  central  plateau  of  Anahuac,  and  their  successive  migrations 
had  continued  during  several  centuries  long  prior  to  the  discovery 
of  America  by  the  Europeans. 

The  ancient  portraits  of  the  Aztecs  and  the  faces  of  some  of 
their  divinities  are  remai'kable  for  the  depression  of  the  forehead, 
from  which  results  the  smallness  of  the  facial  angle — a  peculiarit}" 
which  appears  to  have  belonged  to  the  handsome  type  of  the 
race. 

The  aboriginal  Mexicans  of  our  owoi  time  are  of  good  stature 
and  Avell  i^roj^ortioned  in  all  tlieir  limbs.  They  have  narrow  fore- 
heads, black  eyes,  white,  well-set,  regular  teeth,  thick,  coarse,  and 
glossy  black  hair,  thin  beards,  and  are  in  general  Avithout  any 
hairs  on  their  legs,  thighs,  or  arms.  Tlieir  skin  is  olive  coloured, 
and  many  fine  young  women  may  be  seen  among  them  Avith 
extremely  light  complexions.  Their  senses  are  very  acute,  more 
especially  that  of  sight,  which  they  enjoy  unimi)aired  to  the  most 
advanced  age. 

The  native  Indians  forming  j^ail  of  the  Mexican  population  are 
characterized  by  a  broad  face  and  flat  nose,  recalling  somewhat 
the  lineaments  of  the  Mongolian  cast  of  countenance.  They 
may  be  judged  of  from  Figs.  202,  203,  204,  and  205,  which 
represent  aborigines  of  the  interior  and  coast  of  Mexico. 

M.  Eoude,  who  has  published  the  narrative  of  his  travels  in 
the  state  of  Chihuahua,  brought  back  accurate  drawings  illustrative 
of  the  usages  and  customs  of  the  population  of  the  Mexican 
capital. 

The  ladies  envelope  themselves  very  gracefully  in  their  rehossOy 
with  w^hich  they  cover  the  head,  partly  hiding  the  face,  and  only 
allowing  their  eyes  to  be  seen.  Among  the  wealthy  this  rebosso 
is  generally  of  black  or  white  silk,  embroidered  with  designs  in 
bright  and  gaudy  colours.  Women  of  the  lower  classes  wear 
a  rebosso  of  blue  wool  dotted  with  little  white  squares.     Their 


456  THE    EED    RACE. 

petticoat  is  eliort,  and  its  lower  part  embroidered  with  wtnsted 
work.  The  ftivourite  colour  for  this  latter  garment  among 
common  people  is  glaring  red. 


The  men's  costume  (fig.  206)  is  ncher  and  more  varied 
than  that  of  the  women.  On  Sundays  it  is  laced  with  silver ; 
white  trowsers  are  indispensable,  and  they  are  covered  by 
imother  pair  made  of  leather,  open  nlong  the  sides  from  the  waist 
downwards,  and  ornamented  with  a  row  of  silver  buttoDs.  A 
China  crape  sash  is  wound  round  the  waist,  and  the  vest  is  of 
deerskin  or  velvet  with  silver  embroidery.  The  sombrero  has  t 
very  broad  brim,  is  made  of  straw  or  felt,  and  decorated  with  • 
thick  twisted  band  of  black  velvet  or  of  silver  gilt  lace.  The  sarape 
is  spangled  with  striking  colours  and  with  varied  patterns,  and 
the  men  possess  a  special  talent  for  draping  themselves  gracefdlly 
in  it. 


.NORTHERN    BRANCH.  »7 

The  place  above  all  others  where  the  popular  life  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Mexico  should  be  studied  is  in  the  markets  (fig.  207). 
There  may  you  see  Indians,  Creoles,  and  foreigners,  beggars 
in  rags  and  rich  citizens,  black  frock  coats,  embroidered  deer- 
skin jackets,  threadbare  uniforms,  soldiers,  muleteers,  porters, 
monks  of  all  shades,  shod  and  shoeless  Carmehtes,  all  elbowing 
each   other   fnitornaily.     There   IJiisil   throws   the   lengthening 


shadow  of  his  fantastic  head-gear  on  the  wall  of  the  neighbour- 
ing church  ;  there  dealers  in  hats,  i)oultry,  or  wooden  trays 
offer  their  wares  to  buyers ;  there  pretty  fiiiit  and  flower  girls, 
tidy  servant  maids  of  some  decent  house,  or  winsome  Chinas 
with  sparkling  eyes,  pass  to  and  fro  draped  in  their  rebosaos. 
They  bear  on  the  upturned  palms  of  the  left  hand,  on  a  level 
with  the  shoulder,  and  in  the  most  artistic  manner,  a  basket  full 
of  green  plants,  or  the  gi-aceful  red  earthenware  cantaro  painted 
and  glazed,  and  filled  with  water. 

Through  this  noisy  crowd  the  water-carrier  (aguador),  clothed  in 
leather,  treads  his  way  with  short  steps,  bearing  on  his  back  an 


THE    BED    RACE. 


enormous  red  earthen  jar,  fastened  by  means  of  two  handles  and  a 
broad  strap  to  hia  forehead,  which  is  protected  by  a  little  cap 


n;  ^JULSi 


of  leather ;  another  band  passing  across  the  top  of  tlie  crown 
supports  a  second  and  much  smaller  i>itcher,  hanging  before  him 
at  bis  knees. 


NORTHERN    BRANCH. 


If  a  person  wishes  to 
become  acquainted  with 
Mexico,  it  is  among  tlie 
lower  orders  that  he  must 
study  the  country.  The 
people  are  good ;  eager  for 
knowledge,  notwithstand- 
ing the  want  of  instruction, 
and  full  of  energj'  in  spite 
of  their  long  bondage.  He 
need  be  on  his  guaid  against 
the  higher  classes  only,  a 
small  minority  spoiled  by 
the  priests,  whose  influ- 
ence is  all-powerful.  The 
ignorance  of  the  monks, 
who  swarm  in  this  land, 
is  doubled  by  an  intoler- 
able vanity  that  inspires 
them  with  antipathj-  to  all 
progress. 

The  people  of  Mexico 
are  verj'  simple  in  then 
habits.  Broth  {pilcker  ) 
and  the  national  dish  fri 
joles  (beans),  form  the  ordi 
nary  fare  of  the  middle 
class,  to  which  a  stew  of 
spiced  duck  is  sometimes 
added.  They  allay  then 
thirst  with  pure  water  con 
tained  in  an  immense  glass 
which  holds  from  one  to 
two  quarts.  This  ilagon  is 
placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
table,  and  is  the  only  one 
that  appears  on  the  board, 
from  which  decanters  and 
bottles,  and  very  often  even 
knives  and  forks,  are  ban- 


460  IHE   RED   RACE. 

islied.  Each  in  turn  steeps  his  lips  in  this  cup,  returning  it  to 
its  place  or  passing  it  to  his  neighbour.  Besides,  Mexicans  in 
general  do  not  drink  except  at  the  end  of  the  meal.  In  the 
evening  the  circle  is  swelled  by  a  few  friends  ;  guitars  are  taken 
down  from  the  wall,  and  some  simple  ballads  are  sung  to 
mournful  airs,  or  they  dance  to  the  same  measure. 

The  Aztecs,  or  primitive  Mexicans,  like  their  predecessors,  the 
Toltecs,  were,  as  we  have  said,  strangers  in  Anahuac.  Before 
their  arrival  this  plateau  had  been  inhabited  by  diflferent  races, 
some  of  which  had  acquired  a  certain  degree  of  civilization,  whilst 
otliers  were  utterly  barbarous.  The  Aztecs  spread  themselves 
extensively  in  Central  America. 

The  Olmecas  are  mentioned  among  the  most  ancient  tribes,  and 
tliey  are  supposed  to  have  peopled  the  West  India  Islands  and 
South  America.  This  nation  shared  the  soil  of  Mexico  with  the 
XicalaucaSy  Coras ,  Tepanecas,  Tarascas,  MixtecaSf  Tzapotecas, 
and  the  Othomis.  The  last  named  and  the  Totonacs  were  two 
barbarous  races  occupying  the  country  near  Lake  Tezcuco,  pre- 
viously to  the  coming  of  the  Chichimecas.  WTiilst  all  the  other 
known  languages  of  America  are  polysyllabic,  that  of  the  Otiiomis 
is  monosyllabic. 

Fai*ther  to  the  north,  and  beyond  the  northern  frontiers  of 
the  Mexican  empire,  dwelt  the  Hiuixtecas,  The  Tarascas 
inhabited  the  wide  and  fertile  regions  of  Mechoacan,  to  the 
north  of  Mexico,  and  were  always  independent  of  tliat  kingdom. 
Their  sonorous  and  harmonious  tongue  differed  from  all  the  others. 
In  civilization  and  the  arts  they  advanced  side  by  side  with  the 
Mexicans,  who  were  never  able  to  subdue  them  ;  but  their  king 
submitted  without  resistance  to  the  rule  of  the  Si)aniards. 

Moyas  and  Lcncas. — These  are  tribes  which  still  live  in  a  wild 
state  in  the  forests  situated  between  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and 
that  of  Thuantepec,  but  an  inquiry  into  their .  manners  and 
customs  would  offer  no  features  of  interest.  The  life  of  savage 
nations  exhibits  an  imiformity  which  greatly  abridges  our  task. 

North-eastern  Family. 
In  the  fifteenth  century  the  North-eastern  family  occupied 


KOBTHEBN  BRANCH.  461^ 

that  immense  expanse  of  North  America  which  is  comprised 
between  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Rocky  Momitains/  but  all 
its  nations  are  now  reduced  to  a  few  far  from  numerous  tribes, 
confined  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  distinguishing  qualities  of  the  red  race  are  strongly 
marked  among  these  groups.  A  complexion  of  a  light 
cinnamon-colour,  a  lengthened  Ifead,  a  long  and  aquiline  nose, 
horizontal  eyes,  a  depressed  forehead,  a  robust  constitution^  and 
a  tall  stature  constitute  their  principal  physical  characteristics,  to 
which  must  be  added  senses  sharpened  to  an  extraordinary 
degree.  They  have  a  habit  of  painting  their  bodies,  and  especially 
their  faces,  red.  Their  disposition  is  proud  and  independent,  and 
they  support  pain  with  stoical  courage. 

Almost  all  these  Indian  tribes  have  already  disappeared  in 
consequence  of  the  furious  war  waged  upon  them  by  the 
Europeans.  Those  that  lived  in  olden  times  on  the  declivities  of 
the  mountains  facing  the  Atlantic  are  very  nearly  extinct* 
Among  such  are  the  Hurons,  Iroquois,  Algonquins,  and  the 
Natchez,  rendered  famous  by  Chateaubriand,  and  the  Mohicans, 
whom  Cooper  has  immortalized. 

We  cannot  speak  detailedly  here  of  these  different  nations,  but 
in  order  to  give  an  idea  of  them  we  shall  open  Chateaubriand's 
**  Voyage  en  Amerique,"  and,  having  quoted  a  few  lines  from  ity 
we  will  make  the  reader  acquainted  with  the  pith  of  the  observa* 
tions  made  in  our  own  day  in  these  same  countries  by  contem* 
porary  travellers. 

Speaking  of  tiie  Muscogulges  and  the  Simnioles,  Chateaubriand 
writes  in  the  following  terms  :— 

''  The  Simnioles  and  the  Muscogulges  are  rather  tall  in  stature  t 
and,  by  an  extraordinary  contrast,  their  wives  are  the  smallest  race 
of  women  known  in  America ;  they  seldom  depass  a  height  of  four 
feet  two  or  three  inches ;  their  hands  and  feet  resemble  those  of 
an  European  girl  nine  or  ten  years  old.  But  nature  has  com« 
pensated  them  for  this  kind  of  injustice :  their  figure  is  elegant  and 
graceful ;  their  eyes  are  black,  extremely  long,  and  frOl  of  languor 
and  modesty.  They  lower  their  eyelids  with  a  sort  of  voluptuous 
bashfulness ;  if  a  person  did  not  see  them  when  they  speak,  he 
would  believe  himself  listening  to  children  uttering  only  half** 
formed  words." 

The  great  writer  passed  along  the  borders  of  the  lake  to  which 


463  THE   RED   RACK 

its  name  has  been  given  by  tlie  Iroquois  colony  of  the  OnondagoM^ 
and  visited  the  "  Sachem  "  of  that  people : — 

"  He  was,"  says  Chateaubriand,  "  an  old  Iroquois  in  fhe 
strictest  sense  of  the  word.  His  person  preserved  the  memoiy  of 
the  former  customs  and  bygone  times  of  the  desert :  large,  pinked 
ears,  pearl  hanging  from  the  nose,  face  streaked  with  various 
colom*s,  little  tuft  of  hair  on  the  Hop  of  the  head,  blue  tunic»  desk 
of  skins,  leathern  belt,  with  its  scalping-knife  and  tomahawk, 
tattooed  ann,  mocassins  on  his  feet,  and  a  porcelain  necUaee 
in  his  hand." 

The  following  is  the  sketch  of  an  Iroquois  : — 

"  He  was  of  lofty  stature,  with  broad  chest,  muscular  \&g^ 
and  sinewy  arms.  His  large  round  eyes  sparkled  wilk 
independence;  his  whole  mien  was  that  of  a  hero.  Shining 
on  his  forehead  might  be  seen  high  combinations  of  thought  and 
exalted  sentiments  of  soul.  This  fearless  man  was  not  in  the 
least  astonished  at  fireaiins  when  for  the  fii*st  time  they  were  naed 
against  him ;  he  stood  fii*m  to  the  whistling  of  bullets  and  the 
roar  of  cannon  as  if  he  liad  been  hearing  both  all  his  lifet 
and  appeared  to  heed  them  no  more  than  he  would  a  stomu 
As  soon  as  he  could  prociu*e  himself  a  musket,  he  used  it  better 
than  an  Eui'opcan.  He  did  not  abandon  for  it  his  tomahairiCy 
his  knife,  or  his  bow  and  arrows,  but  added  to  them  the 
carbine,  pistol,  poniard,  and  axe,  and  seemed  never  to  possesB 
luins  sufficient  for  his  valour.  Doubly  aiTayed  in  the  murderoiu 
weapons  of  Europe  and  America,  with  his  head  decked  with 
bimches  of  feathers,  his  ears  pinked,  his  face  smeared  black,  his 
arms  dyed  in  blood,  this  noble  champion  of  the  New  World  became 
as  formidable  to  behold,  as  he  was  to  contend  against,  on  the  shore 
which  he  defended  foot  by  foot  against  the  foreigner." 

With  this  temble  portrait  Chateaubriand  contrasts  the  blithe 
countenance  of  the  Huron,  who  had  nothing  in  common  with  the 
Iroquois  but  language  : — 

"  The  gay,  sprightly,  and  volatile  Huron,  of  rash,  dazzling 
valour,  and  tall,  elegant  figure,  had  the  air  of  being  bom  to  he 
tlie  ally  of  the  French." 

We  now  come  to  travellers  of  our  own  day.  Fig.  210  is  a 
sketch  of  the  costiunes  of  the  wild  Indians  dwelling  at  the  foot 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  Missouri,  and  who  bear  the  name  of 
Creeks. 


464  THE   RED    RACK 

In  his  travels  through  the  United  States  and  Canada,  M.  H» 
Deville  had  an  opportunity  of  visiting  an  establishment  of 
Iroquois,  These  savages  were  remarkable  for  their  reddish 
colour  and  coarse  features.  They  wore  round  hats  with  broad 
brims,  and  robed  themselves  in  Spanish  fashion  in  a  piece  of  dark 
clotli. 

The  manufacture  of  the  native  coverings  for  the  legs  and  feet 
forms  the  principal  occupation  of  the  women,  and  under  the 
pretext  of  purchasing  some  of  tlieii*  handiwork  M.  Deville  entered 
several  Iroquois  dwellings. 

Divested  of  tlie  tliick  mantle  worn  by  them  out  of  doors,  the 
women  had  assumed  a  long,  coloured  smock-frock  with  tight-fitting^ 
pantaloons  that  reached  to  the  ankles,  and  their  varnished  shoea 
allowed  coarse  worsted  stockings  to  be  seen.  Earrings  and  a 
gold  necklace  constituted  their  chief  ornament.  Their  hair  i» 
drawn  up  to  the  top  of  the  head  and  tied  there  in  a  knot.  Ta 
say  that  their  features  are  agi'eeable  would  be  untrae,  but  in 
eai'ly  youth  their  figiu-es  are  rather  handsome.  Work,  order, 
and  cleanliness  reign  in  their  household.  Their  brothers  and 
husbands  are  wood-cutters,  steersmen,  or  conductors  of  rafts. 

The  same  traveller  met  with  some  Chipjyeway  Indians  on  the 
heights  of  Tiake  Pepin.  Their  stature  was  tall,  but  they  had 
coarse  features,  and  a  skin  of  a  very  dark  reddish  colour.  Half 
their  face  was  covered  by  a  thick  layer  of  vermilion  extending  as 
far  as  their  hair,  which  was  plaited  over  the  crown.  They  wore 
long  leather  gaiters,  tied  at  the  sides  by  innumerable  thongs^ 
and  over  a  sort  of  tattered  blouse  was  thrown  a  large  woollen 
blanket,  which  completely  covered  them.  One  individual,  armed 
with  a  long  steel  blade  shaped  like  a  dagger,  had  stuck  his  pipe  in 
his  hail-. 

In  his  "  Voyage  dans  les  Mauvaises  Terres  du  Nebraska," 
M.  de  Girardin  (of  Maine-et-Loire)  describes  his  journey  across 
pail  of  the  Missomi  basin  occupied  by  some  free  and  wild 
Indians. 

He  brought  back  with  Iiim  sketches  and  illustrations  of  those 
tribes,  the  principal  among  which  are  the  Blnckfeet,  and  the 
Dacotas,  or  SionXy  and  was  present  at  a  grand  council  of  the 
latter  nation.  The  chiefs  of  the  various  clans,  clad  in  their  most 
brilliant  costumes,  harangued  the  warriors,  whilst  a  score  of  young 
braves,  without  any  other  covering  than  a  tliick  coat  of  vermilion 


NOETHERN    BRANCH. 


4«i 


or  ochre,  made  their  eteeds  curvet  and  executed  numberless 
fanciful  manoeuvres.  The  horses  were  painted  yellow,  red,  and 
white,  and  had  their  long  tails  decked  with  bright-coloured 
feathers. 

An  immense  tent,  composed  of  five  or  six  lodges  of  bison-skins, 
was  erected  in  the  centre  of  the  camp.  The  chiefs  and  principal 
warriors  formed  a  circle,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  agent,  the 


governor  of  Fort  St.  Pierre,  and  his  interpreters  were  stationed. 
According  to  Indian  custom,  the  grand  chief  ht  tlie  calumet  of 
peace,  a  magnificent  pipe  of  red  stone,  the  stem  of  which  was  a 
yard  long  and  adorned  with  feathers  of  every  hue.  After  some 
impassioned  orations  the  council  refused  the  travellers  permission 
to  pass  over  their  territory  in  order  to  reach  that  of  the  Black- 
feet. 

Fig.  211  represents  the  encampment  of  these  Indians  visited 
by  M.  de  Girardin :  fig.  212  is  a  sketch  of  one  of  their  horsemen, 
and  fig.  218  a  likeness  of  a  Sioux  warrior,  all  irom  the  pencil  of 
the  same  gentleman. 

M.  de  Girardin  happened  to  go  to  another  camp,  that  of  an  old- 


466  THE   BED    RACE. 

chief  of  the  same  tribe.  It  consisted  of  five  or  six  tents,  conical 
in  shape,  and  made  of  bison -skins.  Kemarkable  for  'their  white- 
ness and  cleanliness  these  habitations  were  covered  with  odd 
paintings  which  portrayed  warriors  smoking  the  calumet,  horses, 
stags,  and  dogs.  Numerous  freshly  scalped  locka  were  hanging 
at  the  end  of  long  poles.  At  the  side  of  each  tent,  a  kind  of  tripod 
suppoi'tcd  qoirers,  shields  of  ox-hide,  and  spears  embellished  with 


212.— SlOtlX   WABBIOK. 

brilliant  plumage.  A  few  young  warriors  of  strongly  marked 
features,  with  aquiline  noses  and  herculean  forms,  bat  hideously 
daubed  in  black  and  white  paint,  were  engaged  in  firing  arrows 
at  a  ball  which  was  rolled  along  the  ground  or  thrown  into 
the  air. 

The  chiefs  made  the  travellers  seat  themselres  on  skins  of  bears 
and  bisons,  and  conversed  with  the  interpreter,  whilst  M.  de 
Girardin  remained  exposed  to  the  curiosity  of  the  young  folks, 
women,  and  children.  The  girls  ventured  so  far  as  to  search  his 
pockets  and  extract  from  them  his  knife,  pencils,  and  note- 
book.    The  moat  inquisitive,  a  fine  girl  with  very  soft  eyes 


NORTHERN    BRANCH.  4tfr 

and  magnificent  teeth,  perceiving  he  had  a  long  beard  wished  to 


213.—^    BIODX   CBIBT. 

e  berself  that  he  was  not  shaggy  aU  over  like  a  bear,  irhen 


468  THE   BED    RACE. 

the  traveller  took  it  into  his  head  to  put  a  little  powder  into 
the  hand  of  the  pretty  inquisitor  and  lit  it  by  means  of  a 
glass  lens,  an  incident  -which  gave  a  tremendous  fright  to  the 
assemblage. 

During  a  journey  to  the  north-east  of  America  in  1867,  M.  L. 
Simonin  had  an  opportunity  of  visiting  a  Sioux  village,  and  we 
avail  ourselves  of  a  few  of  his  descriptions.  It  consisted  of  about 
a  hundred  huts,  made  with  poles  and  bison  skins,  or  pieces  of 
stitched  cloth.  The  entrance  to  them  was  by  a  low  narrow  hole 
covered  over  with  a  beaver  skin,  A  fire  blazed  in  the  centre 
of  each  hovel,  and  around  it  were  pots  and  kettles  for  the 
repast.  The  smoke  which  escaped  at  the  top  rendered  this 
abode  intolerable,  Beds,  mattresses,  cooking  utensils,  quarters 
of  wild  bison,  some  raw,  others  dried  and  smoked,  were  scat- 
tered here  and  there.  Half-naked  children,  girls  and  boys, 
scampered  about  outside,  as  well  as  troops  of  dogs  that  con- 
stituted at  once  their  protectors,  tlieir  A'igilant  sentinels,  and 
their  food. 

M.  Simonin  went  inside  many  of  the  huts,  where  warriors  were 
silently  playing  cards,  using  leaden  balls  for  stakes.  Others, 
accompanied  by  the  noise  of  discordant  singing  and  tam- 
bourines, were  playing  at  a  game  resembling  the  Italian  **mora," 
the  score  of  which  was  marked  with  arrows  stuck  in  the  ground. 
Some  tents,  in  which  sorcery,  or  *'  great  medicine,"  was  being 
practised,  were  prohibited  to  the  visitor.  The  women  were 
sitting  in  a  ring  round  some  of  the  wigwams,  doing  needle-work, 
ornamenting  necklaces  or  mocassins  with  beads,  or  tracing 
patterns  on  bison  skins. 

Some  old  matrons  were  preparing  hides  stretched  on  stakes, 
by  rubbing  them  with  freestone  and  steel  chisels  set  in  bone 
handles.  The  squaws  of  the  Sioux,  on  whom,  moreover,  all 
domestic  cares  fall,  are  far  from  handsome.  They  are  the  slaves 
of  the  man  who  purchases  them  for  a  horse  or  the  skin  of  a  bison. 
The  great  Sioux  nation  numbers  about  thirty-five  thousand  in- 
dividuals. 

'  The  same  gentleman  from  whom  we  have  just  been  quoting, 
was  enabled  to  make  some  observations  among  the  CrowSy  a  tribe 
of  Prairie  Indians  who  are  neighbours  of  the  Sioux.  Their 
features  are  broadly  marked,  their  stature  gigantic,  and  their 
frame3  athletic,  while,  according  to  M,  Simonin,  their  majestic 


NORTHERN    BRANCH.  469 

countenances  recall  the  types  of  the  Roman  Caesars  as  we  see 
them  delineated  on  antique  medals. 

The  traveller  was  admitted  into  the  hut  of  the  chiefs,  where 
the  **  Sachems  "  were  seated  in  a  cu'cle,  and  as  he  touched  their 
hands  successively,  they  uttered  a  guttural  "  a  hou,"  a  sound 
which  serves  as  a  salutation  among  the  Red  Skins.  He  smoked 
the  calumet* 

These  men*  had  their  cheeks  tattooed  in  vermilion.  Thej 
were  scarcely  covered;  one  had  a  woollen  blanket,  the  next  a 
buffalo  hide  or  the  incomplete  uniform  of  an  officer,  while  the 
upper  part  of  another's  body  was  naked.  Several  wore  collars  or 
eardrops  of  shells  or  animals*  teeth.  Hanging  from  the  neck  of 
one  was  a  silver  medal  bearing  the  effigy  of  a  President  of  the 
United  States,  which  he  had  received  when  he  went  on  a  mission 
to  Washington  in  1853 ;  and  a  horse,  rudely  carved  in  the  same 
metal,  adorned  the  breast  of  another  of  theii*  number. 

M.  Simonin  was  afterwards  present  at  a  council  of  the  Crow 
Indians,  but  we  do  not  intend  to  give  any  report  of  this  conference 
of  savages,  of  which,  however,  the  reader  may  form  some  idea  by 
casting  a  glance  at  fig.  214. 

In  dealing  with  the  relations  existing  between  the  wild  Indians 
of  North  America  and  the  civilized  inhabitants,  that  is  to  say,  the 
Americans  of  the  United  States,  M.  Simonm  enters  into  some 
interesting  reflections  which  we  believe  we  ought  to  reproduce. 

"  A  singular  race,"  says  M.  Simonin,  **  is  that  of  the  Red 
Skins,  among  whom  Nature  has  so  lavishly  apportioned  the 
finest  land  existing  on  the  globe,  a  ricl#  alluvial  soil,  deep, 
level,  and  well  watered ;  still  this  race  has  not  yet  emerged  from 
the  primitive  stage  which  must  be  everywhere  traversed  by 
humanit}'  at  the  outset — the  stage  of  hunters  and  nomads, 
the  age  of  stone  !  If  the  Whites  had  not  brought  them  iron, 
the  Indians  would  still  use  flint  weapons,  like  man  before  the 
Deluge,  who  sheltered  himself  in  caverns  and  was  contem- 
porary in  Europe  with  the  mammoth.  Beyond  the  chase  and 
war,  the  \nld  tribes  of  North  America  shun  work ;  women, 
among  them,  perform  aU  labour.  What  a  contrast  to  the  toiling, 
busy  population  around  them,  whose  respect  for  women  is  so 
profound !  This  population  hems  them  in,  completely  surrounds 
them  at  the  present  day,  and  aU  is  over  with  the  Red  Skins  if 
they  do  not  consent  to  retire  into  the  land  reseiTed  for  them. 


NORTHERN    BRANCH.  471 

*'  And  even  there  will  industry  and  the  arts  spring  up?  How 
poorly  the  Red  race  is  gifted  for  music  and  singing  is  well 
known:  the  fine  arts  have  remained  in  infancy  among  them; 
and  writing,  unless  it  consists  in  rude  pictorial  images,  is  utterly 
unknown.  They  barely  know  how  to  trace  a  few  bead  patterns 
on  skins,  and  although  these  designs  are  undoubtedly  often 
happily  grouped  and  the  colours  blended  with  a  certain  harmony, 
that  is  all.  Industry,  apart  from  a  coarse  preparation  of  victuals 
and  the  tanning  of  hides  and  dressing  of  furs,  is  also  entirely 
null.  The  Indian  is  less  advanced  than  the  African  negro, 
who  knows  at  least  how  to  weave  clotlis  and  dye  them.  The 
Navajoes,  alone,  manufacture  some  coverings  with  wool. 

"  The  free  Indians  of  the  Prairies,  scattered  between  the 
Missouri  and  the  Rocky  Mountains,  may  be  reckoned  at  about  a 
hundred  thousand,  while  all  the  Indians  of  Noi*th  America,  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  are  estimated  at  four  times  that 
nimiber.  These  calculations  may  possibly  be  slightly  defective, 
statistics  or  an}^  accurate  census  being  quite  wanting.  The  Red 
men  themselves  never  give  more  than  a  notation  of  their  tents 
or  lodges,  but  the  assemblage  of  individuals  contained  in  each  of 
these  differs  according  to  the  tribe,  and  sometimes  in  the  same 
tribe  ;  hence  the  impossibility  of  any  mathematically  exact  com- 
putation. 

'*  In  the  north  of  the  Prairies  the  great  family  of  the  Sioux 
numbering  thirty-five  thousand  is  remarkable  above  all  others. 
The  Crows,  Bigbellies,  Blackfeet,  Sec,  who  occupy  Idaho  and 
Montana,  form,  when  taken  altogether,  a  smaller  population  than 
the  Sioux — probably  about  twenty  thousand.  In  the  centre  and 
south,  the  Pawnees,  ALrapahoes,  Shiennes,  Yutes,  Kayoways, 
,Comanches,  Apaches,  &c.,  imited,  certainly  exceed  forty  thousand 
in  number.  The  territories  of  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Colorado, 
Texas,  and  New  Mexico  are  those  which  these  hordes  overrun. 
The  Pawnees  are  cantoned  in  Nebraska,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Pacific  Railway,  and  the  Yutes  in  the  *  parks  '  of  Colorado. 

"  These  races  possess  many  characteristics  in  common ;  they 
are  nomadic,  that  is  to  say,  they  occupy  no  fixed  place,  live  by 
fishing,  or  above  all  by  hunting,  and  follow  the  wild  buffalo  in 
its  migrations  everywhere. 

"  A  thoroughly  democratic  regime  and  a  sort  of  communism 
control    the    relations    of  members    of   the    same   tribe  with 


4n  THE    RED    RACE. 

each  other.  The  chiefs  are  nominated  by  election,  and  for  a 
2)eriod^  but  are  sometimes  hereditary.  The  most  courageous,  he 
who  has  taken  the  greatest  number  of  scalps  in  war  or  has  slain 
most  bisons,  the  performer  of  some  brilliant  exploit  or  a  man  of 
superior  eloquence,  all  these  have  the  right  to  be  chosen  chiefs. 
As  long  as  he  conducts  himself  well  a  chief  retains  his  position; 
if  he  incur  the  least  blame  his  successor  is  appointed.  Chie& 
lead  the  tribes  to  battle,  and  are  consulted  on  occasions  of  diffi- 
culty, as  are  also  the  old  men.  The  braves  are  the  lieutenants 
of  the  chiefs,  and  hold  second  command  in  war.  There  is  no 
judge  in  the  tribes,  and  each  one  administers  justice  for  himself 
and  applies  the  law  at  his  own  liking. 

/'  All  these  nations  hunt  and  make  war  in  the  same  manner,  on 
horseback ;  with  spear,  bow  and  arrows,  in  default  of  revolvers 
and  muskets,  and  using  a  buckler  as  a  defence  against  the 
enemy's  blows.  They  scalp  their  dead  foe  and  deck  themselves 
with  his  locks ;  pillage  and  destroy  his  property,  carry  away 
his  women  and  children  captives,  and  frequently  subject  the  van- 
quished, above  all  any  white  man  falling  into  their  hands,  to 
hoiTible  tortui'es  before  putting  him  to  death. 

**  The  squaws  to  whom  the  prisoner  is  abandoned  exhibit  the 
most  revolting  cruelty  towards  him,  tearing  out  the  eyes,  tongue, 
and  nails  of  their  victim ;  burning  him,  chopping  off  a  hand  to- 
da}',  and  a  foot  to-mon*ow.  When  the  captive  is  well  tortured, 
a  coal  fire  is  lighted  on  his  stomach  and  a  yelling  dance  per- 
formed round  him.  Almost  all  Red  Skins  commit  these  atro- 
cities phlegmatically  towai'ds  the  Whites  when  engaged  in  a 
struggle  with  them. 

"  Tribes  often  make  war  among  themselves  on  the  smallest 
pretext,  for  a  herd  of  bisons  they  are  pursuing,  or  a  prairie  where 
they  wish  to  encamp  alone.  They  have  not  indeed  any  place 
reserved,  but  they  sometimes  wish  to  keep  one  so,  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  eveiy  other  occupant.  Nor  is  it  uncommon  for  the  same 
tribe  to  split  itself  into  two  hostile  clans.  A  few  years  ago  the 
OgallaUas  when  maddened  by  whisky  fought  among  themselves 
with  guns,  and  have  been  broken  up  ever  since  into  two  bands, 
one  of  which,  the  *  Ugly-Faces,'  is  commanded  by  Red  Cloud,  and 
the  other,  by  Big-Mouth  and  Pawnee-Killer. 

**  The  languages  of  all  the  tribes  are  distinct;  but  perhaps  a 
linguist  would  recognize  among  them  some  common  roots,  in  the 


NOBTHEBH    BRANCH.  473 

same  way  as   in  our  own  day  tliey  have  been  found  to  exist 


between  European  tongues  and  those  of  India.     These  languages 


474  THE   BED  RACE. 

all  obey  the  same  grammatical  mechanism ;  ihey  are  *  aggluti- 
native,' or  *  polysynthetic/  and  not  *  analytic  *  or  *  inflected/  that 
is  to  say,  the  words  can  be  combined  with  each  other  to  form 
a  single  word  expressing  a  complete  idea ;  but  relation,  gender, 
number,  etc.,  are  not  indicated  by  modifications  of  the  substan- 
tive. I  pass  over  the  other  characteristics  which  distinguish 
agglutinative  from  inflected  languages.  The  dialects  of  the 
Bed  Skins  have  not,  or  seem  not  to  have,  any  affinity  in  the 
different  teims  of  their  vocabulary,  which  is,  besides,  often  very 
limited. 

''  In  order  to  comprehend  each  other  the  tribes  have  adopted 
by  common  accord  a  language  of  signs  and  gestures  which 
approximates  to  that  of  the  deaf  and  dumb.  In  this  way  all  the 
Indians  are  capable  of  a  mutual  understanding,  and  a  Yute,  for 
instance,  can  converse  without  difficulty  for  several  hours  with  an 
Arrapahoe,  or  the  latter  with  a  Sioux. 

**  The  Whites  are  not  acquainted  with  the  languages  of  the 
Prairie  Indians,  or  know  them  very  badly.  Frequently,  there  is 
but  one  interpreter  for  the  same  tongue,  often  a  very  poor  one, 
merely  understanding  the  idiom  he  has  translated,  not  speaking 
it.  Many,  a  fortiori,  are  not  able  to  wi'ite  the  language  which 
they  interpret.  Neither  Dr.  Mathews,  John  Richard,  nor  Pierre 
Chene  could  spell  for  me  in  English  characters  the  names  of 
the  Crow  chiefs.  How  would  it  be  in  the  case  of  the  Arrapahoes 
or  Apaches,  whose  strongly  guttural  speech  is  only  accentuated 
by  the  tips  of  the  lips  ? 

*'  In  all  tliis  it  must  be  understood  that  I  speak  only  of  the 
tribes  of  the  Prairies,  and  not  of  those  who  lived  in  olden  times  on 
the  declivities  of  the  mountains  overlooking  tlie  Atlantic  or  skirt- 
ing the  Mississippi,  The  majority  of  the  latter  are,  as  is  known, 
extinct,  the  Algonquins,  Hurons,  Iroquois,  Natchez  and  Mohi- 
cans, and  it  is  also  well  to  avow  that  France  has  contributed  in  a 
large  measure  to  their  disappearance. 

"  The  residue  of  these  tribes,  which  I  shall  term  Atlantic — 
Delawares,  Cherokees,  Seminoles,  Osages,  and  Creeks — ^is  now 
cantoned  in  the  reserves,  especially  in  the  Indian  Territory, 
where  little  by  little  the  Red  Skins  are  losing  their  dis- 
tinctive characteristics.  Histories  and  authentic  documents 
regarding  all  these  races  are  extant,  whilst  only  very  little 
is  known  up  to  the  present  concerning  those  of  the  Prairies. 


NORTHERN    BRANCH.  476 

The    greater  part    of  the   legends   and  traditions  with   which 


216.— A    CUAYBNE   (SHIRNHES)   CfllEF. 

people  endow  them  are  only  due  to  the  invention  of  traTellers. 


476  THE    RED    RACE, 

**  It  is  towards  a  new  territory  analogous  to  the  one  josi 
mentioned)  and  bordering  upon  it,  that  the  Commissioners  of  the 
Union  have  recently  pushed  back  the  five  great  nations  of  the 
south  ;  while  they  intend  to  indicate  a  reserve  of  the  same  kind 
in  the  north  of  Dacota  to  the  Crows  and  the  Sioux,  if  they  find 
them  well  disposed  to  accept  it« 

**  And  then,  people  may  say,  what  will  become  of  the  Indians? 
For  this  is  the  question  which  every  one  asks  when  he  hears  the 
Bed  Skins  spoken  of.  If  the  Prairie  tribes  go  into  the  reserves^ 
the  same  will  happen  to  them  which  has  befallen  those  of  the 
Atlantic  borders;  little  by  little  they  will  lose  their  customs, 
their  wild  habits ;  they  will  yield  insensibly  to  the  sedentary  and 
agricultural  life,  and,  step  by  step — ^last  phase,  of  which  the  first 
example  remains  to  be  seen — their  country  will  pass  from  the 
rank  of  a  territory  to  that  of  a  state.  Arrived  at  this  final  stage 
the  Indian  will  be  altogether  blended  with  the  White ;  after  a 
few  generations  he  will  not  perhaps  be  more  distinguishable  from 
him  than  the  Frank  is  discernible  from  the  Gaul  among  us,  or 
the  Norman  from  the  Saxon  in  England. 

**  But  if  the  Indian  does  not  submit ;  if  he  will  not  consent  to 
be  cantoned  in  the  reserves  ?  Then  must  ensue  a  death-struggle 
between  two  races  differijg  in  colour  and  customs,  a  merciless 
war  of  which,  unfortunately,  so  many  examples  have  already  been 
seen  on  the  same  American  soil.  Where  are  now  the  Hurons, 
Iroquois,  and  Natchez,  who  amazed  our  ancestors?  The 
AJgonquins,  who  had  no  limits  to  their  territory,  where  and 
how  many  are  they  to-day  ?  All  have  gradually  disappeared  by 
disease  or  warfare. 

**  The  war  which  will  break  out  this  time  will  be  short,  and  it 
will  be  final,  for  in  it  the  Indian  will  finally  sink.  He  has  on 
his  side  neither  science  nor  numbers.  Undoubtedly,  by  his 
ambushes,  by  his  flights,  by  his  isolated  and  totally  unforeseen 
attacks,  he  bewilders  scientific  warfare,  and  the  most  able 
strategists  of  the  United  States,  with  General  Sherman  at  their 
head,  have  been  beaten  by  the  Indians,  who  have  gained  no  small 
share  of  glory  against  the  WTiites.  But  the  next  war  will  be  no 
longer  one  of  regulars  but  of  volunteers.  The  pioneers  of  the  ter- 
ritories will  arm  themselves,  and  if  the  Red  man  demands  tooth  for 
tooth,  eye  for  eye,  the  Whites  will  inflict  upon  him  the  inflexible 
penalty  of  retaliation,  and  the  Indian  will  disappear  for  ever." 


NORTHERN    BRANCH. 
In  the  narrative  of  his  travels  from  the  J 


317.— A    VDTB    CHIKF. 

of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  made  in  1853,  M.  MoUhausen  has  given 


478  THE   RED   RACE. 

various  details  concerning  the  remnants  of  the  nearly  extinct 
Atlantic  tribes. 

The  Choctaws,  to  the  number  of  twenty-two  thousand  souls,  are 
spread  over  the  regions  bordering  on  Arkansas  on  the  east,  the 
plains  inhabited  by  the  Chicksaws  on  the  south,  and  those  occu- 
pied by  the  Creeks  on  the  west,  while  their  neighbours  to  the 
north  are  the  Cherokees. 

The  vast  plains  which  adjoin  the  Choctaw  territories,  are  used 
for  the  pastimes  of  the  Indians,  and  especially  for  their  game  of 
ball  or  tennis.  The  Choctaws,  Chicksaws,  Creeks,  and  Cherokees 
are  passionately  attached  to  this  amusement.  A  challenge  borne 
by  two  able  performers  usually  gives  rise  to  the  festival,  and  having 
arranged  the  day  for  the  contest,  the  players  dispatch  their 
heralds  to  all  quarters.  These  emissaries  are  tattooed  horsemen, 
accoutred  in  a  fantastic  style.  Carrying  a  ceremonial  racket, 
they  repair  from  village  to  village  and  hut  to  hut,  proclaiming 
throughout  the  entire  tribe  the  names  of  the  individuals  who 
have  proposed  the  match,  and  making  known  the  day  of  the 
struggle  and  the  place  of  meeting.  As  each  of  the  actors  is 
accompanied  by  his  relatives,  half  the  nation  is  often  found 
assembled  at  the  appointed  locality  on  the  eve  of  the  solemn  day, 
some  to  take  part  in  the  fray,  and  the  others  to  bet  upon  the 
result.  This  game  (fig.  218)  is  a  tremendous  tussle,  a  general 
scrimmage  in  which  almost  the  whole  tribe  is  engaged. 

Between  the  Canadian  border  and  Arkansas,  sprinkled  with 
flourishing  farms,  is  the  fertile  domain  of  the  Creek  Indians.  It 
is  not  so  long  since  the  warriors  there  covered  themselves  with 
whimsical  tattooing ;  but  progress  has  to-day  penetrated  into 
these  savannas,  and  these  same  Indians  to-day  read  a  newspaper 
printed  in  their  language. 

Like  the  Choctaws,  the  Creeks  formerly  inhabited  Alabama  and 
Mississippi,  which  they  ceded  for  a  pecimiary  consideration  to 
the  American  government.  Their  numbers  do  not  amount  to 
more  than  twenty-two  thousand. 

A  similar  estimate  may  be  made  of  the  Cherokees^  who  have 
abandoned  New  Georgia  for  higher  Arkansas. 

Further  off  are  the  Shawnees,  a  nation  which  is  reduced  to 
about  fourteen  hundred  members,  and  yet  was  once  one  of  the 
most  powerful  in  North  America.  They  were  the  first  to  oppose 
resistance  to  the  encroachments  of  civilization,  and  hunted  from 


480  THE    RED    RACK 

everywhere  have  strewn  the  bones  of  their  warriors  along  their 
route. 

The  Delawares,  who  have  diminished  to  the  insignificant  total 
of  eight  hundred  individuals,  originally  inhabited  the  eastern  parts 
of  the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  Delaware.  Their 
fate  resembled  tliat  of  the  Shawnees ;  being  ever  obliged  to 
subdue  new  territories  which  they  were  afterwards  compelled  to 
yield  to  the  government.  Driven  from  the  plains  which  con- 
tained the  tombs  of  their  forefathers,  deceived  and  betrayed  by 
the  strangers,  the  Delaware  Indians  have  repelled  Christian 
missionaries.  Placed  at  tlie  extreme  limits  of  civilization,  on  the 
very  border  of  virgin  nature,  they  devote  themselves  fearlessly  to 
their  adventurous  propensities.  They  go  to  hunt  the  grizzly  bear 
in  California,  the  buffalo  on  the  plains  of  Nebraska,  the  elk  at  the 
sources  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  the  mustang  in  Texas,  scalping  a 
few  crowns  on  their  way.  A  Delaware  only  requires  to  see  a  piece 
of  land  once,  in  order  to  be  able  to  recognize  it  after  the  lapse 
of  years,  no  matter  from  what  side  he  may  approach  it ;  and 
wherever  he  sets  his  foot  for  the  first  time,  a  glance  suffices  to 
enable  him  to  discover  the  spot  where  water  should  be  sought 
for.  These  Indians  are  admirable  guides,  and  on  their  services, 
which  cannot  be  too  dearly  paid  for,  the  existence  of  a  whole 
caravan  often  depends. 

Comanchcs, — The  great  and  valiant  nation  of  the  Comanche 
Indians,  which  is  divided  into  three  tribes,  overruns  in  every 
direction  the  vast  expanse  of  the  Prairies :  outside  those  green 
savannahs  they  would  be  unable  to  live.  Those  of  the  north  and 
of  the  centre  are  ever  hunting  the  bufialo,  and  the  flesh  of  that 
animal  constitutes  almost  their  sole  sustenance.  From  the  most 
tender  childhood  till  advanced  age  they  are  in  the  saddle, 
and  a  whip  and  bridle  render  the  Comanche  the  most  expert, 
agile,  and  independent  of  men.  They  gallop  in  thousands  over 
the  Prairies  hanging  to  the  sides  of  their  steeds,  and  directing 
their  arrows  and  spears  with  marvellous  skill  at  their  mark. 
They  plnme  themselves  on  being  robbers,  attack  the  establish* 
ments  of  the  Whites,  lead  men,  women,  and  cliildren  away 
prisoners,  and  carry  off  the  catUe. 

Fig.  219  represents  two  Comanche  Indians ;  fig.  220,  one  of  their 
encampments,  and  fig.  221,  a  bufialo  hunt  among  the  same  tribe. 


NORTHERN    BRANCH.  481 

Apaches. — The  Apache  nation  is  one  of  the  most  numerous  of 
New  Mexico,  including  many  tribes,  several  of  which  are  not 
even  known  by  name. 

The   Nai-ajoe^   belong    to   this   gi'oup.      Thej'   arc   the   only 


219.'-C0UAKCIIB 


Indians  of  New  Mexico  who  keep  large  Hocks  of  sheep  and 
pursue  a  pastoral  life.  They  know  how  to  weave  the  wool  of 
their  flocks,  of  which  they  manuiacture  thick  blankets  fit  to 
compete  with  the  productiona  of  the  west,  twisting  bright 
colours  into  these  rugs  in  a  way  that  imparts  to  them  a  very 
ori^al  appearance.    Their  deerskin  leggings  are  made  with  the 


4U2 


THE    ItED    RACE. 


utmost  cnre,  an<l  have  thick  soles  itud  a  pointed  end,  shaped  like 
a  benk,  u  necessary  precaution  against  the  tliomy  cactus  plants 
witli  whicli  tlie  soil  bristles.  Their  heml-geai-  consists  of  a  leathern 
cap  in  tlie  funn  <if  n  hdmet.  ndomeil  by  a  bmich   of  cock's, 


eagle's,  or  vultnre's  fcntliei-s.  In  addition  to  bows  nnd  arrows, 
they  can-y  long  lunccs  whicli  they  handle  very  skilfully  as  they 
dash  along  oq  tlieir  fleet  steeds. 

In  the  last  rank  of  the  Apache  nation  arc  to  be  placed  the 
tribes  of  tlie  Cosiiiuou  and  Vanipm/s,  thievish,  savage,  an<I 
suspicious  hordes  with  whicli  it  has  been  found  impossible'  to 


484  THE   RED   RACE. 

establish  any  relations,  and  who  are  natives  of  the  mountains  of 
Sau  Francisco.  Cedar-berries,  the  fruit  of  a  species  of  pine-tree, 
and  the  grass  and  root  of  a  Mexican  plant,  constitute  their 
means  of  subsistence,  for  they  are  wretched  hunters* 

Within  sight  of  the  Bio  Colorado  M.  Mollhausen  encountered 
some  Indians  belonging  to  the  three  tribes  of  the  ChimehivebSp 
Cutchanas  and  Pah-Utahs,  who  bear  a  resemblance  to  each  other. 
Their  complexion  was  dark  in  colour,  their  faces  striped  with 
bistre,  and  their  black  hair  hung  down  their  backs  in  locks  which 
were  confined  with  wet  clay.  They  were  of  fine  stature,  and 
perfectly  naked  but  for  a  waistband.  They  bounded  forward  like 
deer  to  meet  the  travellers,  and  their  expression  of  countenance 
was  frank,  kind,  and  merry.  Their  women  on  the  contrary  were 
small,  thickset,  and  chimsy,  but  their  large  black  eyes  and 
pleasant  mannei*s  gave  them  a  certain  charm. 

The  travellers  also  fell  in  with  the  Mohawk  Indians  (fig.  222), 
men  of  herculean  forms  who  were  tattooed  from  the  roots  of  the 
hair  to  the  sole  of  the  foot  in  blue,  red,  white  and  yellow,  and 
with  eyes  that  glowed  like  coals  under  this  layer  of  paint.  Most 
of  them  wore  vulture's,  magpie's,  or  swan's  feathers  on  the  top 
of  their  heads,  and  carried  large  bows  and  spears  in  their 
hands. 

Mr.  Catlin  made  numerous  excursions  among  the  Indian 
tribes  of  the  plains  of  Columbia  and  Upper  Missouri,  and  we 
shall  quote  presently  his  remarks  concerning  the  Nayas  and 
Flat'IIcads. 

Both  these  nations  dwell  to  the  west  of  the  Bocky  Moun- 
tains, occup}dng  all  the  countr}'  situated  roimd  Lower  Columbia 
and  Vancouver's  Island.  The  latter  tribe  derives  its  name 
fi-om  the  singular  custom  which  exists  among  them  of  flatten- 
ing their  cliildi'en's  heads  at  their  birth. 

The  Flat- Heads  (fig.  223)  live  in  a  region  where  very  little  in 
the  way  of  food  is  to  be  found  except  fish,  and  their  lives  are 
spent  in  canoes.  The  artificial  deformity  which  constitutes  the 
national  characteristic  is  to  be  found  more  especially  among 
the  women,  with  whom  it  is  almost  universal;  but  it  is  only 
a  question  of  fashion,  and  does  not  appear  to  have  any  perceptible 
effect  on  the  functions  of  the  organs,  for  persons  whose  heads 
have  been  compressed  seem  as  intelligent  as  those  who  have  not 
undergone  this  strange  operation. 


NORTHERN    BRANCH. 


Jlr.  Catlin  says  i — 

"  In  the  course  of  the  year  1853  I  found  myself  on  board  the 


Sally  Anne,  a  little  vessel  flying  the  star-spangled  flag,  which  haT- 
ing  made  a  few  trading  cruises  along  the  coast  of  Kamtschatlw 


486  THE    BED    RACE. 

and  Russian  America,  was  on  her  way  to  land  in  British 
Columbia  several  passengers  who  had  been  attracted  thither  by 
the  reputation  of  the  auriferous  deposits  newly  discovered  in 
that  country. 

"  On  the  third  day  from  our  entry  into  Queen  Charlotte's 
Sound,  the  long  and  magnificent  strait  separating  Vancouver's 
Island  from  the  continent,  we  got  into  the  long-boat  to 
go  on  shore,  and  amved  at  the  village  of  the  Nayas,  The 
Indians  had  been  informed  of  our  visit  and  were  all  assembled 
in  their  huts ;  the  chief,  a  very  dignified  man,  being  seated  in 
his  wigwam,  with  lighted  pipe,  ready  to  receive  us.  We 
squatted  ourselves  on  mats  spread  upon  the  ground,  and  whilst 
the  pipe  was  being  passed  round — this  is  the  first  ceremony  on 
such  occasions — hundreds  of  native  dogs — ^haK  wolves, — ^which 
had  followed  in  oui*  track,  completely  invaded  the  approaches 
to  the  wigwam,  barking  and  howling  in  the  shrillest  and  most 
mournful  manner.  The  sentinel  whom  the  chief  had  stationed  at 
the  door  to  prevent  anyone  entering  without  permission,  dis- 
charged an  arrow  at  the  leader  of  the  band,  i)iercing  him  to  the 
heart,  a  proceeding  which  calmed  the  rest  of  the  pack,  which 
was  then  dispei*sed  with  many  blows  of  oai*s  by  the  Indian  women. 
We  were  not  a  little  emban-assed  at  having  no  other  way  of  ex- 
pressing our  thoughts  than  by  signs,  yet  we  seemed  to  under- 
stand each  other  perfectly,  and  we  gathered  that  the  chief  had 
sent  to  a  village  at  no  gi-eat  distance  in  search  of  an  inter- 
preter who  ought  very  soon  to  arrive.  I  recommended  my 
companions  not  to  breathe  a  word  before  his  ai'rival  as  to 
our  object  in  visiting  the  locality,  and  in  the  meantime  did  not 
myself  lose  an  instant  in  endeavouring  to  rouse  the  interest  of 
our  hosts. 

"  I  motioned  to  Caesar  to  bring  me  the  portfolio,  and  having 
seated  myself  beside  the  chief,  opened  it  before  him,  while  I  gave 
an  explanation  of  each  portrait ;  he  expressed  no  great  surprise, 
and  yet  took  an  evident  pleasure  in  examining  them.  I  showed 
him  several  chiefs  of  the  Amazons,  as  well  as  others  of  the  Sioux, 
Osages,  and  Pawnees.  The  last  likeness  was  a  full-length  one 
of  Caesar,  on  seeing  which  he  could  not  resti'ain  himself  from 
bursting  into  the  most  tremendous  fits  of  laughter,  and  turning 
towards  the  subject  of  it  who  was  sitting  opposite,  signed  to 
him  to  approach,  gave  him  a  grasp  of  the  hand  and  made  him 


NORTHERN    BKANCH.  487 

place  himself  beside  him.     These  drawings  excited  great  anima- 


tion in  the  assemblage  ;  three  or  four  under-chiefa  were  &tvta.w«* 


488  THE    BED    RACE, 

to  see  them,  and  the  chiefs  wife  and  their  young  daughter  came 
close  to  us  for  the  same  purpose. 

''One  detail  of  their  toilette  attracted  Caesar's  attention:  a 
man  had  a  roimd  slip  of  wood  inserted  in  his  imder  lip  and  the 
chiefs  daughter  also  carried  a  similar  ornament.  Like  Gffisar,  my 
companions  were  ignorant  of  this  strange  and  incredible  custom, 
and  contemplated  the  Indians  thus  adorned,  with  the  utmost 
astonishment. 

''  The  chiefs  daughter  wore  a  magnificent  mantle  of  mountain- 
sheep's  wool  and  wild-dog's  hair,  marvellously  interwoven  with 
handsome  colours  in  the  most  intricate  and  curious  patterns, 
and  bordered  all  round  with  a  fringe  eighteen  inches  deep. 
The  making  of  this  robe  had  occupied  three  women  during  a  year, 
and  its  value  was  that  of  five  horses.  The  bowl  of  the  pipe  which 
the  chief  passed  round,  was  of  hard  clay,  black  as  jet  and 
highly  polished,  and  both  it  and  the  stem  were  embellished  with 
sketches  of  men  and  animals  carved  in  the  most  ingenious 
manner.  I  have  seen  several  of  these  pipes,  and  have  had  many 
in  my  possession,  with  their  eccentiic  designs  representing  the 
garments,  canoes,  oars,  gaiters,  and  even  the  full-length  likenesses 
of  their  owners.  These  designs  of  the  Nayas  are  di£ferent 
from  all  those  we  saw  among  the  other  tribes  of  the  conti- 
nent. The  same  ornaments  are  found  on  their  spoons,  vases  and 
clubs  ;  on  their  earthenware,  of  which  they  make  a  great 
quantity ;  and  on  everything  else  manufactured  by  them.  Up  to 
the  present  these  figm*es  are  inexplicable  hierogl}^hics  to  us,  but 
they  possess  great  interest  for  archeologists  and  etjnnologists, 

**  I  did  not  find  in  this  Nay  a  Chief  the  same  superstitious 
dread  which  the  Indians  of  the  Amazon  and  of  other  parts  in 
the  south  of  America  evinced  when  I  asked  them  to  have  their 
portraits  taken;  on  the  conti-ary  he  said  of  his  own  accord  to  me: 
*  If  you  tliink  any  of  us  worthy  of  the  honour,  or  handsome  enough 
to  be  painted,  we  are  ready  ! '  I  thanked  him ;  Caesar  went  for  my 
box  of  colours  and  my  easel,  and  I  began  his  likeness  and  that  of 
his  daughter,  for  he  had  told  me  how  much  he  loved  this  child,  add- 
ing that  it  was  his  rule  to  have  her  almost  always  with  him,  and 
that  he  thought  I  should  do  well  to  draw  them  together,  both  on 
the  same  canvas.  I  agreed  to  his  request,  telling  him  at  the 
same  time  how  much  I  appreciated  such  natural  and  noble  feel- 
ings on  his  part. 


NORTHERN    BRiNCH.  48» 

,  ...  As  we  neared  the  village  a  great  crowd  came  to  meet 


ns,  and  I  noticed  that  the  throng,  especially  the  •wwass^L,  stoafit^a"- 


m  THE   BED    RACE. 

themselyes  to  the  steps  of  Caesar  as  he  marched  solemnly  along, 
his  tall  figure  drawn  up  to  its  fiill  height,  and  with  the  portfolio 
on  his  back.  So  large  were  the  numbers  for  so  small  a  village, 
that  I  asked  the  interpreter  to  explain  what  this  signified.  He 
told  me  that  the  news  of  our  arrival  and  the  atti^action  of  the 
dance  which  was  sure  to  take  place  in  the  evening  had  drawn  and 
would  still  draw  a  vast  concourse  of  Indians  from  the  adjoining 
districts.  At  sunset  we  partook  of  a  meal  of  venison  in  the  chiefs 
wigwam,  and  afterwards  set  ourselves  to  smoke  imtil  night  came 
on.  Then  in  the  midst  of  dreadful  yelling,  barking,  and  singing, 
we  saw  about  a  dozen  flaming  torches  approaching  the  hut  in 
front  of  which  the  dance  of  masks  now  began.  Grotesque  is  an 
imperfect  word  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  incredible  eccentricities 
and  buflfooner}^  that  took  place  before  us,  and  Caesar  was  seized 
with  such  a  fit  of  laughing  as  to  be  ahnost  choked.  Picture  to 
yourself,  fifteen  or  twenty  individuals,  all  full-grown  men, 
masked  or  tricked  out  in  the  most  extraordinary  guise,  while 
many  spectators,  placed  in  the  first  rank,  were  costumed 
in  similar  style.  A  great  medicine  man  was  the  conductor  of 
the  revels  and  the  most  wliimsical  of  all.  He  represented  the 
'  King  of  the  Bustards,'  another  was  *  Monai'ch  of  the  Divers,* 
a  third,  '  Doctor  of  the  Rabbits ;  *  and  there  were  also  the 
*  Brother  to  the  Devil,'  the  'Thunder-Maker,'  the  *  White 
Book,*  the  '  Night-travelling  Bear,'  the  *  Soul  of  the  Caribout,' 
and  so  on,  until  the  names  of  every  animal  and  every  bird 
were  entii-ely  exhausted.  The  dancers'  masks,  of  which  I 
procured  several,  are  very  ingeniously  made.  They  are  cleverly 
hollowed  from  a  solid  block  of  wood  in  such  a  way  as  to  fit  the 
face,  and  are  held  inside  by  a  cross-strap  which  is  taken  between 
the  teeth,  thus  enabling  the  voice  to  be  counterfeited  and  dis- 
guised ;  they  are  covered,  moreover,  with  odd  patterns  in  various 
colours.  With  the  exception  of  that  of  the  leader  of  the  dance, 
all  these  masks  had  a  round  piece  of  wood  in  the  under  lip,  to 
recall  the  singular  custom  which  exists  in  the  country.  Enter- 
tainments of  tliis  description  are  not  confined  to  the  Nayas,  for  I 
have  witnessed  similar  recreations  in  many  other  tribes  in  North 
as  well  as  South  America. 

**  They  also  slit  the  cartilages  and  lobes  of  their  ears,  lengthen 
them,  and  insert  little  billets  as  ornaments.  Those  in  the  hp 
are  principally  worn  by  the  women,  though  some  of  the  men 


NORTHERN    BRANCH.  491 

hare  adopted  this  fashion,  which   becomes  more  and  more  in 


CHOW  cniEF. 


Togue  among  both  sexes  as  the  coast  is  asitccA^^  ■watXN*- 


492  THE   BED    RACE. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  the  masks,  which  are  to  be  found  as  far 
as  among  the  Aloutis.  All  the  women  have  not  the  lip  pierced , 
and  those  who  have  do  not  carry  the  wooden  ornament  except  on 
certain  occasions,  at  settled  periods,  when  they  don  full  dress. 
They  remove  it  when  eating  and  sleeping  or  if  they  have  to  talk 
much,  for  there  are  plentj^  of  words  which  cannot  be  pronounced 
with  this  inconvenient  trinket. 

**  The  lip  is  perforated  at  the  earliest  age,  and  the  aperture 
thus  formed,  though  almost  imperceptible  at  first  when  the 
^barbote'  is  taken  out,  is  kept  open  and  grows  larger  daily." 

The  same  traveller  had  the  pleasure  of  again  meeting  the 
Crows,  but  as  we  have  already  spoken  of  the  Indians  of  this 
tribe,  we  shall  content  ourselves  with  reproducing  here  his  very 
picturesque  costume  of  one  of  their  chiefs  (fig.  225), 

Mr.  Catlin  twice  visited  the  Mandan  Indians  in  the  course 
of  the  siunmer  of  1832.  The  solitary  village  in  which  they 
were  collected,  to  the  number  of  two  or  three  thousand,  was 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Missouri,  at  a  distance  of  about  1400 
miles  from  tlie  city  of  St.  Louis.  Of  medium  stature,  and 
comfortably  clad  in  skins,  all  wore  leathern  leggings  and  mocassins 
elegantly  embroidered  with  porcupine  silk  dyed  in  various 
colours. 

Each  man  had  his  tunic  and  his  mantle  which  he  assumed  or 
laid  aside  according  to  the  temperature,  and  every  woman  her 
robe  of  deer  or  antelope  skin.  Many  among  them  had  a  very 
fair  skin,  and  their  hair,  which  was  silvery  gray  from  childhood 
to  old  age,  their  hght  blue  eyes  and  oval  faces,  doubtless 
testified  to  an  infusion  of  white  blood.  Almost  all  the  men 
adopted  a  curious  fashion,  peculiar  to  tliis  tribe  ;  their  hair,  long 
enough  to  reach  the  calf  of  their  legs,  was  divided  into  matted 
locks,  flattened  and  separated  by  hardened  birdlime  or  by  red  or 
yellow  clay. 

North-Western  Family. 

The  Indian  tribes  composing  the  Nm^th-Westem  family  of 
the  North  American  Branch,  are  less  warlike  and  cruel  than  those 
of  the  east.  They  take  no  scalps.  Their  stature  is  not  so  tall, 
their  face  broader,  their  eyes  more  sunken,  and  their  complexion 
browner.    M.  d'Omalius  d'Halloy  cites  in  this  group  the  Koliouges 


NOBTHEBN   BBAKOH.  403 

(from  60°  to  5(f  N.  lat.),  the  Wakischea  or  Nootkana  (Island  of 
Nootka  and  neighbouring  coasts),  the  Chinooks  (mouth  of  the 
Oregon),  and  the  Tvlarenos^  or  Indians  of  Califomia. 

A  detailed  description  of  these  different  American  tribes  would 
be  devoid  of  interest ;  in  fact,  we  should  be  only  able  to  repeat 
with  but  little  alteration  what  has  been  said  in  previous  pages 
concerning  the  manners,  habits,  customs,  &c.,  of  the  last  remain- 
ing savages  who  still  people  the  interior  of  the  North  American 
forests. 

In  connection  with  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  California,  we 
must  direct  the  reader's  attention  to  the  fact,  that  the  Califor- 
nians  have  a  skin  of  such  a  deep  reddish-brown  that  it  seems 
black.  This  colour  is  certainly  exceptional  among  the  primitive 
inhabitants  of  America,  but  the  characteristic  is  so  pronounced 
in  the  present  instance,  that  we  felt  that  we  could  not  avoid 
pointing  it  out,  although  it  may  be  opposed  to  the  classification 
which  we  have  adopted,  placing  in  the  Red  Eace  all  members  of 
the  human  family  proper  to  America.  This  exception  is  one  of 
the  inconveniences  of  classification  to  wliich  we  must  submit, 
without  however  endeavouring  to  conceal  it. 


THE  BLACK  RACE. 


The  Black  Bace,  as  considered  in  the  vaidous  peoples  consti- 
tuting its  type,  is  distinguished  by  its  short  and  woolly  hair,  com- 
pressed skull,  flattened  nose,  prominent  jaws,  thick  lips,  bowed 
legs,  and  black  or  dark  brown  skin.  Its  members  are  confined 
to  the  central  and  southern  regions  of  Africa  and  the  southern 
parts  of  Asia  and  Oceania.  The  blacks  found  in  America 
are  the  descendants  of  African  slaves  transported  into  the  New 
World  by  Europeans. 

The  peoples  belonging  to  the  Black  Bace  present  great 
variations.  Some  have  the  type  altogether  peculiar  to  the 
Bace  we  have  just  characterized,  while  others  show  a  tendency  to 
approach  the  Yellow  and  the  White  Baces.  The  inhabitants  of 
Guinea  and  Congo  are  quite  black,  but  the  Cafires  are  only  ex- 
cessively brown  and  resemble  Abyssinians.  The  Hottentots  and 
Bushmen  ai'e  yellowish,  like  the  Cliinese,  though  at  the  same 
time  possessing  the  features  and  physiognomy  of  the  Negro. 

As  striking  varieties  are,  therefore,  observable  in  the  Black 
Bace  as  in  the  White,  and  a  rigorous  classification  of  it  is 
consequently  very  diflicult  to  establish ;  but  as  we  coincide  in 
that  which  has  been  suggested  by  M.  d*Omalius  d'Halloy,  we 
shall  separate  the  Black  Bace  into  two  divisions,  the  Western  and 
the  Eastern  Branches. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WESTERN    BRANCH. 

We  shall  notice  three  families  in  the  Western  Branch  of  the 
Black  Race,  those  of  the  Caffires,  Hottentots,  and  Negroes,  These 
general  groups  comprise  an  immense  number  of  tribes,  many  of 
them  still  unknown,  constituting  a  population  of  about  fifty- 
two  millions. 

Caffre   Famua'. 

The  Caffres  who  inhabit  the  south-east  of  Africa  form,  so 
to  speak,  the  stepping-stone  or  intermedium  between  the  brown 
and  the  black  nations.  Their  hair  is  woolly,  but  their  com- 
plexion is  not  so  dark  nor  their  nose  so  flat  as  those  of  a  Negro. 
Possessing  more  aptitude  for  civilization  than  the  other  black 
races,  they  are  associated  together  in  large  communities,  each  of 
which  obeys  a  chief,  and  though  half  wandering  in  their  habits, 
occupy  some  very  populous  towns,  of  considerable  extent,  and 
resembling  vast  camps.  Their  clothing  is  \evj  scanty,  being 
reduced  in  the  men's  case  almost  to  a  cloak,  whilst  the  women 
are  better  covered  in  leatheiii  garments. 

The  Caffires  have  great  herds  of  cattle  and  devote  themselves 
to  agriculture.  They  cultivate  maize,  millet,  beans  and  water- 
melons ;  make  bread  and  beer,  and  manufactm*e  earthenware,  are 
able  to  utilize  metals,  employ  iron  and  copper,  and  know  how  to 
turn  both  into  tools  and  ornaments.  They  believe  in  a  Supreme! 
Being  as  well  as  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  but  pervert  their 
religious  sentiments  by  divers  superstitions. 

The  various  tribes  of  this  great  feunily  possess  physical  ehaite- 
teristics  in  common  which  are  not  to  be  found  in  other  African 
nations.    Gaffires  are  &x  taller  and  stronger;   they  have  wbH* 


4£6  THE    BLACK    RACE. 

proportioned  limbs,  a  brown  skui,  black  and  woolly  bur  ;  tbe 
elevated  forehead  and  tbe  projecting  nose  of  the  European  with 
the  thick  lips  of  the  Negro,  and  the  high  prominent  cheekbones 
of  tbe  Hottentot.  Their  language  is  Eonorous,  sweet,  and  har- 
monious, with  a  rumbbng  in  its  pronunciation. 


16.— A    CAFPRK. 


We  class  with  this  family  : 

1.  The  Southern  Cafii-es,  who  include  the  Amakisas,  Ama- 
thymbas,  or  Tamhoukis,  Amapendas,  and  other  tribes ; 

2.  The  Amazulas,  Vatwas,  and  some  other  warlike  wandering 
hordes  who  have  lately  advanced  southward  into  the  interior ; 

8.  The  inhabitants  of  Delagoa  Bay,  who  bear  a  closer  resem- 
blance to  the  Negroes ; 

4.  The  Bechuanas  and  all  the  numerous  tribes  situated 
towards  the  north  and  in  tbe  interior,  speaking  a  langoage  of 
their  own,  called  Sickuana. 


WESTERN    BRANCH.  497 

The  Bechoana  nations  are  the  most  advanced  of  these  four 
groups.  The  traveller  Livingstone,  who  made  a  long  stay  in 
tlieir  countrj',  has  given  excellent  descriptions  of  them  in  his 
"Expedition  to  the  Zambesi."  They  have  made  progress  in 
arts  and  civilization,  inhabit  large  towns,  have  well-built  houses. 


r-^' 


till  the  soil,  and  know  how  to  preser\'e  one  year's  crop  until  the 
next.  Their  features  tend  towards  an  approach  to  those  of 
Europeans. 

In  the  region  of  the  Tammahas,  not  far  from  JIarhow,  a  town 
of  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  fields  of  corn  several  hundred  acres 
in  extent,  testify  to  a  rather  forward  state  of  agriculture  and 
industry. 

The  MaraUi  cultivate  sugar  and  tobacco,  make  knives  and 
razors,  construct  their  houses  in  masonry,  and  ornament  them 
with  pilasters  and  mouldings. 

We  moat  also  affiliate  to  the  CaSres,  the  inhabitants  of  the 


498  THE   BLACK    RACE. 

Mozambique  coast,  that  is  to  say,  that  portion  of  the  east  coast 
of  Africa  between  the  mouth  of  the  Zambesi  and  Cape  Delgado, 
Fig.  227  represents  a  t3T)ical  native  of  this  district, 

Hottentot  Family. 

The  Hottentots,  whom  the  Dutch  colonists  call  Bosjesmans  or 
Bushmen,  inhabit  the  southern  extremity  of  the  continent. 
Their  skin  is  of  a  dark  yellowish  hue,  and  it  is  only  in  conse- 
quence of  their  features  and  conformation,  which  are  those  of 
Negroes,  that  the  Hottentots  are  placed  in  the  Black  Race,  for  if 
their  colour  is  considered,  they  should  be  ranked  in  the  Yellow 
one. 

Prior  to  the  discovery  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  by  European 
navigators,  the  Hottentots  formed  a  numerous  people,  whose 
little  tribes  lived  happily  and  tranquilly  under  the  patriarchal 
rule  of  their  chiefs  or  elders.  Composed  of  from  tliree  to  four 
hundred  individuals  only,  these  hordes  roved  about  with  tlieir 
flocks  and  assembled  in  villages,  the  houses  of  which  being  con- 
structed of  branches  of  trees  and  reed  mats,  were  taken  asunder 
on  the  signal  of  departure,  and  removed  by  oxen  to  the  site  of 
the  new  encampment  selected  by  the  chief.  The  wildest  of  them 
had  for  covering  a  cloak  of  sheepskins  sewn  together,  and  their 
weapons  were  a  bow  and  poisoned  arrows.  This  people  were 
active  and  intrepid  hunters,  and  they  found  an  opi)ortunity  of 
proving  to  the  Europeans  that  they  were  brave  in  war.  Their 
cruel  invaders,  the  Dutch,  cxtenninated  the  majority  of  these 
tribes,  others  were  violently  divested  of  their  possessions  and 
hurled  back  into  the  forests  or  the  deserts,  where  their  wretched 
descendants  still  live. 

The  Hottentots  or  Bushmen  seem  to  be  the  lowest  of  man- 
kind, as  much  by  their  physical  characteristics  as  by  the 
inferiority  of  their  intelligence.  They  are  of  small  stature, 
yellowish  complexion,  and  repulsive  countenance.  Prominent 
foreheads,  small  sunken  eyes,  extremely  flat  noses,  and  thick  pro- 
jecting lips,  form  the  distinctive  features  of  their  face.  In  con- 
sequence of  their  miserable  state  of  existence,  they  become  worn 
out  and  decrepit  early  in  life.  They  delight  in  personal  adorn- 
ment, and  deck  ears,  arms,  and  legs  with  beads,  and  with  iron, 
-copper,  or  brass  rings^     The  w6men  colour  the  whole  or  part 


WESTERN    BRANCH.  4S9 

of  their  &ces ;  for  all  covering,  they  throw  over  their  shoulders 
a  kind  of  sheepskin  mantle. 

We  give  here  {fig.  228),  as  an  accurate  Epecimen  of  the 
Hottentot  race,  the  portrait  (from  a  cast  in  the  French  Museum 
of  Natural  History)  of  a  woman  of  that  country,  who  died  at  Paris 


in  1828,  and  who  was  known  hy  the  name  of  "  The  Hottentot 
VenuB."  The  phj-sical  specialty  which  rendered  her  remarkable, 
and  which  consisted  in  a  considerable  development  of  the  pos- 
terior muscles,  was  merely  an  individual  anomaly,  and  does 
not  permit  of  any  general  conclusion  being  drawn  from  it  as  a 
characteristic  of  tlie  Hottentot  race.  The  skeleton  of  this  female 
is  preserved  entire  in  the  Museum,  where  a  oast  of  the  whole 
body,  coloured  as  in  life,  may  also  be  seen. 

The  Boshman's   dwelling  is  a  low  hut  or  a  circular  cavity. 
They  formerly  lived  in  a  species  of  natural  caves  among  the  rocks, 

K  K  s 


600  THE    BLACK   RACE. 

and  a  few  individuals,  even  to  the  present  day,  occupy  these  same 
dens,  which  convey  to  us  a  perfect  idea  of  man's  habitations  at 
the  time  of  his  first  appearance  on  the  globe. 

These  wild  beings  have  never  been  seen  engaged  in  any  other 
occupation  than  that  of  making  or  repairing  their  weapons  and 
their  barbed  or  poisoned  arrows.  In  times  of  scarcity,  they  eat 
herb-roots,  ants'  eggs,  locusts,  and  snakes.  Their  language  is  a 
mixture  of  chattering,  hissing,  and  nasal  grunts. 

As  regards  physical  type,  the  Hottentots  are  small,  but  well- 
proportioned,  and  erect  without  being  muscular.  They  are 
generally  extremely  ugly.  Their  nose  is  usually  flat,  their  eyes 
long  and  narrow,  very  wide  apart  from  each  other  and  with  the 
inner  angle  rounded  as  among  the  Chinese,  whom  the  Hottentots 
resemble  besides  in  some  other  respects*  Their  cheekbones  are 
high  set  and  very  prominent,  and  form  almost  an  equilateial 
triangle  with  their  sharp-pointed  chin.  Their  teeth  are  very 
white.  The  women  sometimes  possess  pleasing  figures  in  early 
youth,  but  later  on  their  breasts  lengthen  immoderately,  their 
stomach  becomes  protuberant,  and  sometimes  the  hind  part  of 
their  body  is  covered  with  an  •  enormous  mass  of  fat.  This 
inclination  was  visible  to  an  exaggerated  excess  in  the  case  of  the 
"Hottentot  Venus;"  but  as  we  have  said,  she  merely  constituted 
an  individual  exception,  and  it  would  be  erroneous  to  set  it  down 
as  a  general  characteristic  of  the  whole  Hottentot  family. 

Negro  Family. 

The  Negroes  occupy  a  large  part  of  Central  and  Southern 
Africa.  Senegambia,  Guinea,  a  portion  of  the  western  Soudan, 
the  coast  of  Congo,  along  with  the  immense  extent  of  country, 
as  yet  almost  entirely  unknown,  which  is  comprised  between 
Congo  on  the  west  and  the  coasts  of  Mozambique  and  Zanzibar 
on  the  east,  are  the  dwelling-places  of  the  Negroes,  properly  so 
called. 

Guinea  and  Congo  are  the  classic  homes  of  the  Negro.  There 
live  the  representatives  of  this  race,  with  the  most  characteristic 
and  repulsive  features.  The  belief  is,  that,  as  the  incursions 
of  Asiatic  and  European  populations  into  Africa  were  always 
effected  by  the  Isthmus  of  Suez  and  the  Bed  Sea,  the  aboriginal 
blacks  were  thrust  back  more  and  more  towards  the  west  of  the 


WESTEBM  SBANOH.  SOL 

continent.  The  inhabitants  of  Guinea  and  Congo  would  con- 
sequently be  the  descendants  and  contemporary  representatiyes  of 
the  primitiTe  black  stock. 

Negroes  are  also  to  be  found  in  the  numerous  islands  of  the 
Southern  Ocean ;  New  Guinea,  New  Britain,  New  Caledonia, 
Australia,  Madagascar,  &c.,  &c.  In  the  last  named  large  island^ 
a  vast  Negro  kingdom  is  in  existence,  governed  by  a  queen, 
who  sent  ambassadors  to  England  and  France  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  present  century.  Finally,  there  are  Negroes  in 
the  United  States,  and  in  the  West  Indies.  From  1848,  when 
slayery  was  declared  abolished  in  the  French  possessions,  the 
blacks  have  been  free  in  those  colonies,  and  the  gradual  emanci- 
pation of  the  Negroes  which  has  taken  place  since,  both  in  the 
American  and  Spanish  territories,  has  completely  relieved  them 
from  bondage. 

We  proceed  to  study  the  Negroes,  firstly  as  regards  organiza? 
tion,  and  then  from  the  intellectual  and  moral  stand-point. 

The  physiognomy  of  the  Negro  is  so  strongly  distinctive  that 
it  is  impossible  not  to  recognize  it  at  the  first  glance,  even  if  the 
individual  should  have  a  fair  skin.  His  protruding  lips,  low  fore- 
head, projecting  teeth,  woolly  and  half-frizzled  hair,  thin  beard, 
broad,  flat  nose,  retreating  chin,  and  roimd  eyes,  give  him  a 
peculiar  look  amongst  all  other  human  races.  Several  are  bow- 
legged,  almost  all  have  but  little  calf,  half-bent  knees,  the  body 
stooped  forward,  and  a  tired  gait. 

The  masticatory  muscles  are  more  powerful  in  the  Negro  than 
in  the  White,  on  accoimt  of  the  greater  length  of  the  jaw.  Their 
occiput  is  flatter  than  that  of  the  White,  and  the  great  occipital 
hole  placed  further  back.  Dr.  Madden  has  noticed  skeletons  of 
Negroes  in  Upper  Egypt,  showing  six  lumbar  vertebrsB  instead  of 
five,  a  fact  which  explains  the  length  of  their  loins  and  shambling 
gait.  The  hips  are  less  prominent  than  in  a  white  man.  We  may 
add  that  in  this  race  the  trunk  is  not  so  broad  as  in  the  other 
human  fieunilies,  the  arms  are  slightly  longer  in  proportion,  and 
the  legs  rather  perceptibly  bent,  with  flat  and  high  placed  calves. 

The  bones  of  the  skull  and  those  of  the  body  are  thicker  and 
harder  than  in  the  other  races. 

The  bony  cavity  of  the  pelvis  is  much  narrower  in  the  Negro 
than  in  the  European,  but  it  is  broader  towards  the  os  sacrum, 
renders  deliyery  easy  to  a  Negress.    Accurate  measursf- 


602  THE   BLACK   RACE. 

ments  show  the  upper  portion  of  the  pelvis  to  be  a  fourth  wider 
in  the  European  than  in  the  Negro. 

The  thighs  also  differ  in  the  Negro  and  the  White,  being  yery 
perceptibly  flattened  in  the  former. 

The  foot  participates  in  this  general  ugliness  of  the  limbs.  Flat 
feet,  which  are  sufficient  to  exempt  from  militar}'  service  among 
the  French,  are  not  only  no  deformity  in  the  Negro,  but  a  normal 
characteristic.  Instead  of  forming  that  curve  which  imparts 
elasticity  to  the  whole  frame,  the  imder  part  of  the  Negro's  foot  is 
flat,  thus  rendering  it  less  fitted  to  support  the  body  on  marches. 
So  apparent  is  this  malformation  in  the  black,  that  they  say  of 
him  in  America,  **  The  sole  of  liis  foot  makes  a  hole  in  the  sand;'* 
and  it  is  easy,  in  consequence,  to  distinguish  by  a  mere  look  the 
footprint  of  an  European  from  that  of  a  Negro.  The  first  only 
shows  the  marks  of  the  toes  and  heel,  while  the  other  is  the  im- 
press of  the  entire  sole,  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Besides, 
the  foot  of  the  Negro  is  large  and  narrow,  with  wide  divisions, 
between  the  toes,  while  the  nails  ai-e  so  sharp  and  pointed,  that 
they  resemble  claws. 

The  complexion  of  the  skin  is  one  of  the  most  apparent,  though 
not  most  characteristic,  attributes  of  the  Negro  race.  The  belief 
was  long  entertained  that  the  colour  of  the  blacks  resulted  from 
the  prolonged  action  of  the  sun  on  their  bodies,  but  observation 
has  shown  that  such  is  not  the  case,  and  that  their  extremely  dark 
hue  by  no  means  depends  either  on  the  intensity  or  brilliancy  of 
the  solar  rays.  *  White  men  are  to  be  found  in  the  central  parts 
of  Africa,  in  the  Soudan  and  the  Sahara,  for  instance,  as  well  as 
among  the  Touaricks,  whilst  black  tribes  exist  in  countries  subject 
to  the  most  rigorous  cold,  such  as  Van  Diemen's  Land,  and  New 
Zealand.  In  another  direction,  too,  quite  close  to  tlie  white 
Icelanders  and  Norwegians,  j)eoi)le  with  ver}*-  dark  skins  may  be 
seen,  like  the  Laplanders ;  and  in  California,  a  country  of  cold 
latitude,  the  aborigines  are,  as  we  have  stated,  almost  black. 

The  black  colour  resides  in  an  oily,  greasy  principle,  termed 
pigmentum  nigrum  (black  pigment),  which  is  deposited  in  a 
layer  in  the  mucous  tissue  on  the  cuticle.  This  penetrates 
into  the  hair,  dyeing  it  black,  and  diffuses  itself  throughout 
the  entii'e  system  even  to  the  membranes  surrounding  the 
brain.  This  black  mucous  net-work  a2)pears  to  protect  the 
akin  from  the  violent  action  of  an  African  sun,  and  preserves 


westebV  branch. 


it  from  those  inflammations  which  are  called  sun-strokes  in  our 
climate. 


Crossing  with  the  White  griiduallj-  diminishes   the  Negro's 
colour,  and  in  proportion  to  the  preponderance  of  black  or  white 


504  THE  BLAC&   RACE. 

in  its  progenitors,  the  offspring  presents  various  gradations  of 
complexion.  The  following  are  the  names  which  according  to 
Valmont  de  Bomaire  are  given  in  the  colonies  to  the  issue  of  the 
union  of  the  two  races :  1.  The  child  of  a  white  man  and  a 
Negress,  or  of  a  Negro  and  a  white  woman,  is  called  a  mulutto, 
who  is  neither  black  nor  white,  but  of  a  blackish  yellow  hue,  and 
who  has  short  and  frizzly  black  hair.  2.  The  offspring  of  a  white 
man  and  a  mulatto  woman,  or  of  a  Negro  and  a  mulatto  woman, 
is  termed  a  quadroon,  who,  as  regards  colour,  is  a  mixture  of 
three-quarters  white  with  one-quarter  black,  or  three-quarters 
black  with  one-quarter  white.  In  the  first  case  the  complexion  is 
fairer ;  in  the  second,  darker  than  that  of  a  mulatto.  8.  A  white 
man  and  a  fair  quadroon,  or  a  Negro  and  a  dark  quadroon  pro- 
duce an  octoroon,  seven-eighths  white  and  one-eighth  black,  or 
seven-eighths  black  and  one-eighth  white.  4.  The  child  of  a 
White  and  an  octoroon,  or  of  a  Negro  and  a  dark  octoroon,  is  in 
the  one  case  almost  entirely  white,  in  the  other,  nearly  quite  black. 

Valmont  de  Bomaire  adds,  that  in  succeeding  mixed  genera- 
tions (the  union  with  the  white  man  taking  place  in  Europe,  and 
that  with  the  black  man,  in  Senegal)  the  complexion  would  grow 
lighter  or  darker,  until  at  last  a  white  or  a  black  being  was  brought 
into  the  world.  Such  is  the  course  of  physical  influences  and  the 
causes  of  deterioration  or  relapse  in  the  coloiu:  of  the  human 
species.  Only  four  or  five  generations  of  mixed  blood  are  required 
in  order  to  render  the  Negro  stock  white,  and  no  more  are  wanted 
to  make  the  white  black.  The  union  of  a  mulatto  with  a  quadroon 
or  octoroon  woman  will  produce,  as  may  be  understood,  other 
hues  approaching  to  white  or  black  in  proportion  to  the  pro- 
gression described  above.  The  progeny  of  a  black  and  a  quad- 
roon is  termed  "  saltatras  *'  in  the  colonies ;  the  word  signifies 
**  a  leap-backwards  "  or  a  return  towards  the  black  race. 

Crossings  of  the  Negro  with  individuals  of  the  Yellow  or 
Eed  Kaces,  with  Asiatic  Indians  or  American  red-skins,  beget 
offspring  of  varied  shades  of  colour,  bearing  differ^it  desig- 
nations according  to  the  cpimtries.  These  men  of  colour  are 
seen  in  many  islands  of  Pol^oiesia.  Possessing  neither  the 
intelligence  of  whites  nor  the  submissiveness  of  blacks,  despised 
by  the  former  and  hated  by  the  latter,  they  constitute  an  equivo- 
cal caste,  with  no  settled  position,  and  less  disposed  to  labour 
than  revolt. 


WESTERN   SBANCH.  fiOS 

The  colour  of  his  skin  takes  away  all  charm  from  the  Negro's 
comitenance.  What  renders  the  European's  face  pleasing  is  that 
each  of  its  features  exhibits  a  particular  shade.  The  cheeks, 
forehead,  nose,  and  chin  of  the  White  have  each  a  different  tinge  • 
On  the  contrary  all  is  black  on  an  African  visage,  even  the  eye- 
brows, as  inky  as  the  rest,  are  merged  in  the  general  colour ; 
scarcely  another  shade  is  perceptible,  except  at  the  line  where  the 
lips  join  each  other. 

The  skin  of  Negroes  is  very  porous,  so  much  so  that  the  pores 
show  visibly ;  but  it  is  far  from  hard  in  all  cases,  being  in  some 
instances  quite  the  reverse,  smooth,  satiny,  and  extremely  soft  to 
the  touch. 

The  most  unpleasant  thing  about  a  Negro's  skin  is  the 
nauseous  odour  it  emits  when  the  individual  is  heated  by  perspir- 
ation or  exercise ;  these  emanations  are  as  hard  to  endure  ad 
those  which  some  animals  exhale. 

A  Negro's  hair  is  quite  peculiar.  Whilst  that  of  a  White  is 
cylindrical,  the  Black  man's  is  fiat.  It  is  also  short  and  crisp, 
like  the  wool  of  a  sheep,  and  in  contradistinction  to  the  abundant 
supply  of  Europeans,  the  women  among  whom  can  even  trail 
their  locks  on  the  ground,  it  only  attains  the  length  of  a  few 
inches.  The  beard,  also,  is  very  scanty  and  scarcely  covers  the 
upper  lip. 

The  eye  of  the  Negro  differs  also  from  that  of  the  white ;  the 
iris  is  so  dark  as  almost  to  be  confounded  with  the  black  of  the 
pupil.  In  the  European,  the  colour  of  the  iris  is  so  strongly 
marked  as  to  render  at  once  perceptible  whether  the  person  has 
black,  blue,  or  grey  eyes.  Nothing  similar  in  the  case  of  the 
Negro,  where  all  parts  of  the  eye  are  blended  in  the  same  hue. 
Add  to  this  that  the  white  of  the  eye  is  alwaj'S  suffused  with 
yellow  in  the  Negro,  and  you  will  understand  how  this  organ, 
which  contributes  so  powerfully  to  give  life  to  the  countenance  of 
the  White,  is  invariably  dull  and  expressionless  in  the  Black  Race. 

Nature  adapts  the  Negro  to  the  torrid  countries  he  inhabits. 
His  constitution  is  in  general  Ijmphatic  and  lethargic.  His  slow, 
sluggish  gait  and  invincible  laziness  provoke  Europeans,  who 
cannot  understand  so  much  indolence.  The  relaxation  of  the 
limbs  of  the  Negro  betrays  itself  by  his  inertia  and  drowsiness,  as 
well  as  by  the  flabby  flesh  of  the  women  (Fig.  280). 

Negroes  are  much  less  subject  than  Europeans  to  the  influence 


606  THE    BLACK   RACE. 

of  stimulants.  The  strongest  spirit,  mm,  pepper,  tlie  most 
irritant  spices,  only  feebly  rouse  their  inert  palate.  Their  soft, 
thick,  oily  skin,  smooth  and  hairless,  is  encrusted  beneath  the 
epidermis,  as  we  have  said,  with  a  black  mucous  deposit  which 
gives  it  its  colour.  This  viscid  film  envelopes  the  nervous  ramifi- 
cations beneath  the  cuticle,  thus  blunting  the  sensibility.  The 
fine  and  delicate  skin  of  the  European  experiences  horrible  tor- 
tm'e  under  the  lash  ;  but  even  when  he  is  torn  by  leathern 
thongs,  the  bleeding  weals  of  which  are  sometimes,  in  an  excess 
of  barbarity,  rubbed  \^dth  pepper  and  vinegar,  the  Negro  supportsr 
this  cruel  usage  with  indifference.  Some  blacks  are  seen  joining 
the  dance  after  this  punishment,  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

Before  speaking  of  the  brain  and  understanding  of  the  Negro, 
we  should  make  some  remarks  on  the  facial  angle  observed  in 
tliis  race.  We  have  said  that  a  relatively  exact  judgment  may  be 
formed  from  the  size  of  this  angle  as  to  the  value  of  a  race  of 
mankind,  from  the  intellectual  point  of  view.*  The  more  obtuse 
the  angle,  the  gi*eater  indication  does  it  afford  of  noble  and' 
lofty  sentiments ;  the  smaller  it  is,  the  nearer  the  head  approaches 
to  that  of  animals.  A  prominent  forehead  is  the  sign  of  a 
developed  intellect,  whilst  protruding  jaws  reveal  brute  instincts. 
Consequently,  the  facial  angle  increases  or  diminishes  according 
as  the  forehead  or  the  jaws  project  forward.  The  facial  angle 
of  Euroi)eans  is  about  7Gi  degrees,  sometimes  reaching  81. 
An  angle  of  90  degrees,  that  is  to  say  a  right  angle,  is  found  in 
the  ancient  statues  of  Greece.  But  bv  reason  of  his  retreating 
forehead  and  prominent  jaws  the  Negro  only  exhibits  a  facial 
angle  of  from  61 J  to  63  degrees,  approaching  that  of  the  monkey, 
which  in  those  of  the  sj^ecies  to  which  the  orang-outang  and 
gorilla  belong,  is  of  45  degrees. 

This  proportionate  weakness  of  intelligence,  revealed  to  us  by. 
the  smallness  of  the  facial  angle  in  the  Negro,  is  confinned  by 
an  examination  of  his  brain.  The  labours  of  anatomists  of  oar 
own  day  have  established  that  not  only  is  it  the  bulk  of  the  brain 
which  con-esponds  relatively  with  intellectual  activity,  but  thai 
the  genuine  indication  revealing  the  superiority  of  mind  in  man 
consists  in  the  number  and  depth  of  the  furrows  or  circumvola- 
tions  of  the  brain.  Now  the  outUnes  and  windings  of  the 
cerebral  mass  in  the  European  are  so  numerous  and  deep  tliat 

*  Sec  Introtluction,  p.  2G. 


508  THE   BLACK    RACE. 

they  can  scarcely  be  measured,  whilst  the  complications  in  the 
head  of  the  black  are,  as  regards  the  same  qualities,  less  by  one 
half.  The  brain  of  a  Negro  is  also  perceptibly  smaller  than  that 
of  a  White.  It  is  the  front  part  especially,  that  is  to  say  the 
cerebral  lobes,  which  is  so  much  larger  in  the  European,  and 
hence  the  fine  arch  of  the  forehead  peculiar  to  the  White  or 
Caucasian  race. 

The  intellectual  inferiority  of  the  Negro  is  readable  in  his  coun- 
tenance, devoid  of  expression  and  mobility.  The  black  man  is  a 
child,  and  like  a  child  he  is  impressionable^  fickle,  easily  affected  by 
good  treatment,  and  capable  of  self-devotion,  but  capable  also  of 
hatred  in  some  cases,  as  well  as  of  working  out  his  revenge.  The 
people  of  the  Black  Bace  living  in  a  free  condition  in  the  interior 
of  Africa,  demonstrate  by  their  habits  and  the  state  of  their  mind 
that  they  can  hardly  get  beyond  the  level  of  tribe  life ;  and  on  the 
other  hand  such  difficulty  is  experienced  in  many  colonies,  in 
endeavouring  to  induce  the  Negroes  (so  indispensable  has  the 
guardianship  of  Europeans  become  to  them)  to  maintain  among 
themselves  the  benefits  of  civilization,  that  the  inferiority  of  their 
intelligence,  compared  with  that  of  the  rest  of  mankind,  is  a  fact 
not  to  be  disputed. 

Several  instances  might  doubtless  be  adduced  of  Negroes  who 
have  surjiassed  Europeans  by  their  capacity  of  mind.  Generals 
Toussaint  Louverture,  Christofle,  and  Dessalines  w^ere  no 
ordinary  men,  and  Blmnenbach  has  preserved  to  us  the  names  of 
many  illustrious  blacks,  among  whom  he  mentions  Jacob  Captain, 
w^hose  sermons,  and  theological  ^vritings,  in  Latin  and  Dutch,  are 
truly  remarkable.  It  is  not  from  individual  cases,  however,  but 
from  the  whole,  that  a  judgment  must  be  an-ived  at,  and  experi- 
ence has  proved  that  the  Negroes  are  inferior  in  intelligence  to  all 
known  races,  not  even  excepting  the  savage  people  of  America 
and  the  Oceanian  islands. 

The  Negro  tribes  would  be  excessively  numerous  if  their 
children  lived,  but  negligence  and  laziness  cause  a  notable  pro- 
portion of  their  offspring  to  perish.  The  continual  wars,  too, 
in  which  they  indulge  against  each  other,  equally  impede  the 
spread  of  their  species,  and  notwithstanding  the  fertility  of  the 
soil  in  a  gi-eat  part  of  Africa,  the  improvidence  and  carelessness 
of  the  natives  bring  on  real  famines  which  decimate  their 
numbers. 


WESTERN   BBANOH.  600 

Another  cause  of  depopulation  that  happily  becomes  less  im- 
portant ever}*^  day  is  the  trade  which  the  blacks  themselves  are 
most  eager  to  keep  up.  They  sell  their  children  for  a  packet  of 
beads  or  for  a  few  flasks  of  "  fire-water." 

Thought  grows  sad  as  it  carries  itself  back  to  the  time,  not  yet 
yery  remote,  when  Negro  traffic  and  slavery,  which  to-day  form 
the  exception,  were  the  universal  rule  along  the  whole  coast  of 
Western  Africa.  Negroes  then  were  torn  ruthlessly  from  their 
country  and  transported  to  other  climes  to  be  reduced  to  bondage, 
or  in  other  words  to  sacrifice  life  and  strength  for  their  master^ 
and  in  serving  him,  to  exhaust  themselves  by  toil  without  gaining 
as  much  pity  as  is  extended  to  beasts  of  burden.  With  our 
animals,  in  fact,  repose  succeeds  fatigue  and  food  restores  vigour ; 
whilst,  in  colonies  subject  to  Europeans,  dread  of  punishment,  the 
lash,  and  the  most  shocking  usage,  subdued  the  Negro  to  foroed 
labour. 

This  horrible  traffic  having  excited  universal  indignation  for 
half  a  century',  most  States  decreed  its  abolition.  France  by 
laws  passed  between  the  years  1814  and  1848,  definitively 
emancipated  the  slaves  in  all  her  possessions,  and  since  1860  or 
so,  almost  the  whole  of  America  has  followed  this  example. 
Cruisers  are  now  kept  permanently  on  the  coasts  of  Africa  both 
by  England  and  France,  which  renders  the  slave  trade,  if  not 
impossible,  at  least  difficult  and  dangerous  for  the  grasping, 
barbarous  men  who  are  not  afraid  to  devote  themselves  to  it 
stiU. 

This  commerce,  against  which  European  nations  have  effected 
so  much,  nevertheless  reckons  as  its  partizans  the  Negroes 
themselves.  The  tribes  are,  in  fact,  incessanUy  waging  war  on 
each  other  in  order  to  take  prisoners  and  sell  them  to  the  traders 
who  pay  prohibited  visits  to  their  shores.  Even  now,  convoys 
of  captives,  chained  together  by  means  of  forked  sticks,  are  too 
often  to  be  seen  traversing  the  forests  on  their  way  to  a  slave- 
ship  moored  in  some  unfrequented  creek. 

Since  the  almost  general  abolition  of  slavery,  many  Negro 
tribes  have  been  remarked  to  live  in  better  accord  among  them- 
selves. Fathers  have  some  little  love  for  their  children,  as  they 
no  longer  entertain  the  hope  of  selling  them  for  a  bottle  of  mm 
or  a  glass  necklace ! 

This  bondage  of  the  Negroes  is  not,  we  may  add,  a  social 


i 


610  THE   BLACK   RACK 

institution  of  recent  date.  The  Bomans  possessed  black  slaves, 
and  had  been  preceded  by  the  Egyptians  in  a  custom  which,  at  a 
period  yet  more  remote,  prevailed  among  the  AssjTians  and 
Babylonians.  Three  thousand  years  ago  the  Arabians  and  Turks 
carried  off  Negroes.  They  ascended  the  Nile  in  large  vessels, 
collecting,  as  they  went,  the  blacks  that  were  delivered  up  to 
them  in  Nubia  and  Abyssinia,  and  returning  to  Lower  Egypt 
with  this  cargo  of  human  cattle,  sold  it  for  slaves. 

A  cruelty  which  occasionally  approaches  ferocity  is  the  sad 
Attribute  of  some  African  tribes.  Molien  said  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Fouta-Toro,  that  those  Negroes  had  derived  nothing  from 
civilization  but  its  vices,  and  the  same  reproach  is  applicable  to 
8ome  of  the  modem  tribes.  The  natives  of  Dahomey,  a  Negro 
kingdom  extending  along  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Guinea, 
distinguish  themselves  among  all  other  blacks  by  their  callous  and 
revolting  inhumanity.  To  kill  arid  slay  is  to  them  a  pleasure, 
which  anyone  who  can  indulge  in  it  rarely  denies  himself,  and 
the  post  of  executioner  is  sought  for  by  the  richest  and  most 
powerful  in  the  land  as  affording  an  opportunity  for  the  most 
coveted  enjoyments.  To  form  an  idea  of  a  similar  excess  of 
savagery  and  depravity,  the  shocking  account  should  be  read 
in  the  **  Tour  du  Monde,"  narrated  from  personal  experience 
by  Doctor  Eepin,  who  passed  through  Dahomey  in  1856.  We 
cannot  attempt  to  reproduce  here  the  picture  of  such  cold-blooded 
barbarity. 

The  Negroes  impose  heavy  labours  on  their  women.  Among 
them  the  wife  is  merely  a  helper  in  toil,  a  servant  the  more. 
Making  flour  and  bread,  tilling  the  groimd,  and  the  most 
fatiguing  occupations,  are  tlie  Negress's  lot  in  her  own  country; 
and  it  has  been  said,  perhaps  rightly,  that  the  former  slavery  was 
possibly  a  benefit  to  her,  as  she  at  any  rate  changed  tyrants.  The 
Negress  grinds  the  corn  by  placing  it  in  a  hollow  stone  and 
crushing  it  with  a  round  flint,  the  flour  falling  through  a  hole  in 
the  stone  and  being  received  in  a  mat  laid  on  the  floor. 

The  religious  notions  possessed  by  the  Negroes  are  very  dim ; 
they  doubtless  believe  in  a  supreme  God,  in  a  creator;  but  addict 
themselves  in  excess  to  the  practices  of  fetishism.  Their  fetishes 
are  a  kind  of  secondary  divinities,  subordinate  to  the  great  God, 
master  of  nature.  Each  person  chooses  for  fetish  whatever  he 
likes — fire,  a  tree,  a  serpenti  a  jackal,  water,  a  hog,  down  to  a 


WESTERN    BRANCH.  5LI 

piece  of  wood  shaped  by  tlie  hand  of  man.  The  worship  of  the 
serpent  is  in  mueli  favour  among  the  inhabitants  of  Dahomey. 
They  construct  tents  and  dwelhngs  for  tliese  reptiles,  rear  them 
in  great  numbers,  and  allow  them  to  rove  about  wherever  they 
please.  Immediate  death  would  follow  any  attempt  to  kill  or 
pursue  the  fetish  seipents. 


Belief  in  the  power  of  chance  or  destiny  predominates  among 
these  rude  men.  They  feel  that  events  do  not  depend  on  their 
own  will,  but  upon  some  hidden  infiuence  which  directs  every- 
thing, and  which  it  is  necessary  to  render  favourable  to  them. 
Hence  the  magicians  and  soothsayers  whose  duty  it  is  to  avert 
■evil  fate  or  hurtful  destinies,  and  hence  also  the  incalculable 
quantity  of  fetishes.  Each  Negro  has  his  own,  to  which  he 
offers  sacriiice  so  long  as  he  obtains  something  from  it,  and 


512  THE   BLACK    RACK 

which  he  abandons  the  moment  he  recognizes  its  uselessness* 
Lamentable  effect  of  the  natural  degradation  of  these  races  ! 

The  sad  defects  of  the  Negro  in  his  savage  state  should  not 
cause  his  aptitudes  to  be  forgotten.  When  he  has  been  snatched 
from  tribe  life,  or  freed  from  the  chains  that  weighed  him  down, 
the  black  manifests  qualities  which  deserve  to  be  brought  into 
relief. 

Let  us  remark  firstly,  that  the  Negroes,  or  the  mulattoes  result- 
ing from  their  tmion  with  the  whites,  are  often  gifted  with  an 
extraordinary  memory  which  gives  them  a  great  facility  for  ac- 
quiring languages.  They  are  not  slow  to  appropriate  the  lan- 
guage of  the  people  amidst  whom  they  are  placed.  They  speak 
English  in  North  America,  Spanish  in  the  Central  and  Southern 
parts  of  the  New  World,  and  Dutch  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
They  can  even  change  their  tongue  with  their  masters.  If  a 
Dutch  Negro  enters  the  service  of  an  Englishman,  he  will 
abandon  his  former  idiom  for  that  of  the  latter,  and  wiU  forget 
his  old  mode  of  speech.  Nay  more,  their  memory  sometimes 
retains  widely  diverse  languages  at  the  same  time.  Travellers 
have  met  negro  traders  in  the  centre  of  Africa,  having  connections 
with  different  nations,  who  expressed  themselves  in  several 
tongues,  and  understood  both  Arabic  and  Koptic  as  well  as 
Turkish. 

The  towns  inhabited  by  the  Negroes  resemble  European  cities 
sometimes  so  much  as  to  be  mistaken  for  them  ;  there  is  only  a 
difference  of  degree  in  their  civilization  and  knowledge  when  com- 
pared with  those  of  Europe.  Towns,  properly  so  called,  in  the 
interior  of  Africa  are  however  very  much  scattered,  but  travellers 
bring  to  light  fresh  information  concerning  the  country  ever}'  day, 
and  the  future  will  perhaps  reveal  to  us  particulars  about  the 
civilization  of  Central  Africa,  of  which  we  have  as  yet  hardly 
a  suspicion. 

Negroes  are  not  bad  accountants  ;  they  calculate  mentally  with 
great  rapidity,  far  surpassing  Europeans  in  this  respect. 

The  industrial  arts  are  pursued  with  some  success  by  many 
black  tribes*  ton  can  be  extracted  from  its  ores  easUy  enough 
to  admit  of  the  trades  of  founders  and  blacksmiths  being 
carried  on  in  every  Negro  village,  and  some  excellent  handicrafts- 
men in  both  these  callings  are  to  be  foimd  in  Senegambia  and 
several  of  the  interior  regions. 


514  THE   BLACK   RACE. 

Fermented  drinks,  such  as  beer,  sorgho  wine,  &c.,  are  also 
manufactured  with  considerable  skill. 

Negroes  possess  the  talent  of  imitation  to  a  very  remarkable 
extent.  They  seize  hold  of  and  are  able  faithfully  to  mimic  a 
person's  particular  characteristics  or  behaviour  if  they  show  any 
ludicrous  peculiarities,  Negro  humour  is  also  generally  gay  and 
pleasant.  They  like  to  laugh  at  their  masters  and  overseers,  the 
children  of  the  house,  &c.,  and  delight  in  making  themselves 
merry  at  their  expense. 

Yet  this  imitative  faculty  inherent  to  blacks,  does  not  go  so  far 
as  to  endow  them  with  any  artistic  talents.  Drawing,  painting,  and 
sculpture  are  unknown  to  Negroes,  and  it  is  impossible  to  infuse 
into  them  the  smallest  capacity  for  such  subjects,  either  by  lesSon 
or  advice.  Their  temples  and  dwellings  are,  in  fact,  only  deco- 
rated with  shapeless  scratches ;  Africans  of  the  present  day  are 
utterly  unskilled  in  drawing  and  sculpture. 

Negroes,  if  thus  obtuse  to  the  plastic  arts,  are  on  the  contraiy 
very  easily  affected  by  music  and  poetry.  They  sing  odd  and 
expressive  recitatives  at  their  festivals  and  sports,  and  in  some 
Negro  kingdoms  a  caste  of  singers  is  even  to  be  met  with,  which 
is  alleged  to  be  hereditary,  and  whose  members  are  also  at  the 
same  time  the  chroniclers  of  the  tribe. 

Musical  instruments  are  rather  plentiful  among  the  Africans.  In 
addition  to  the  drum,  which  holds  so  prominent  a  place  in  the 
music  of  the  Arabs,  they  use  flutes,  triangles,  bells,  and  even 
stringed  instruments,  with  from  eight  to  seventeen  strings,  the 
latter  being  supplied  from  the  tail  of  the  elephant.  They  also 
possess  instruments  fashioned  from  the  rind  of  cucumbers, 
forming  a  sort  of  rude  harp.  The  Mandigoes  who  live  on  the 
banks  of  the  Senegal,  about  the  middle  of  its  course,  have  a  species 
of  clarionet,  from  four  to  five  yards  long. 

**  The  Negroes,"  says  Livingstone,  in  his  '*  Expedition  to  the 
Zambesi,"  '*  have  had  their  minstrels ;  they  have  them  still,  but 
tradition  does  not  preserve  their  effusions.  One  of  these,  appa- 
rently a  genuine  poet,  attached  himself  to  our  party  for  several 
days,  and,  whenever  we  halted,  sang  our  praises  to  the  villagers 
in  smooth  and  harmonious  numbers.  His  chant  was  a  soi-t  of 
blank  verse,  and  each  line  consisted  of  five  syllables.  The  song 
was  short  when  it  first  began,  but  each  day  he  picked  up  moi*e 
information  about  us,  and  added  to  the  poem,  until  our  praises 


VESTEBH  BRANCH,  HS 

grew  into  an  ode  of  respectable  length.  When  distance  from 
home  compelled  him  to  retom,  he  expressed  his  regret  at  leavii^; 
va,  and  was,  of  course,  paid  for  his  useful  and  pleasant  flatteries. 
Another,  thongh  leas  gifted  son  of  Apollo,  belonged  to  our  ovn 
party.  Every  evening,  while  the  others  were  cooking,  talking,  or 
sleeping,  he  rehearsed  his  songs,  which  contained  a  history  of 


233.— A     ZAUBESI      HEOKES.'^ 


everything  he  had  noticed  among  the  white  men,  and  on  the 
Journey.  In  compoBing,  extempore,  any  new  piece,  he  was  sever 
at  a  loss ;  for,  if  the  right  word  did  not  come,  he  didn't  hesitate, 
bat  eked  ont  the  measure  with  a  pecoliar  mosical  sound,  mean- 
ing nothing  at  all.  He  accompanied  his  recitations  on  the  mum, 
an  instrument  held  in  the  fingers,  whilst  its  nine  iron  keys  are 
pressed  with  the  thumbs.  Persons  of  a  musical  tnm,  too  poor  to 
buy  a  MUM,  may.be  aeea  playing  vigoionsly  on  a  sabstitat^mad« 


516  THE   BLACK   RACE. 

of  a  number  of  thick  sorgho-stalks  sewn  together,  and  with  keys 
of  split  bamboo.  This  makeshift  emits  but  little  sound,  but 
^ems  to  charm  the  player  himself.  When  the  sausa  is  played 
with  a  calabash  as  a  sounding  board,  it  produces  a  greater 
volume  of  sound.  Pieces  of  shell  and  tin  are  added  to  make  s^ 
jingling  accompaniment,  and  the  calabash  is  profusely  oma« 
mented.'^ 

The  music  of  the  Negroes  is  not  confined,  it  may  be  remarked, 
to  simple  melody.  They  are  not  satisfied  with  merely  playing 
the  notes  simg  by  the  voice,  but  have  some  principles  of 
harmony.  They  perform  accompaniments  in  fourths,  sixths, 
and  octaves,  the  other  musical  intervals  being  less  familiar  to 
them,  except  when  sometunes  employed  to  express  irony  or 
censure.  The  advanced  state  of  music  amidst  the  Negro 
tribes  is  all  the  more  noticeable  from  the  fact  that  among 
ancient  European  races,  among  the  ancient  Greeks,  at  the  most 
brilliant  epoch  of  their  history,  for  instance,  no  idea  whatever 
prevailed  of  harmony  in  music. 

The  faculties  of  the  blacks  can  consequently  in  certain  respects 
become  developed,  and  it  is  established  that  Negroes  who  live  for 
several  generations  in  the  towns  of  the  colonies,  and  who  are  in 
peri)etual  contact  with  Europeans,  improve  by  the  connection, 
and  gain  an  augmentation  of  their  intellectual  capacities. 

To  sum  up,  then,  the  Negro  family  possesses  less  intelligence 
than  some  others  of  the  human  race ;  but  this  fact  affords  no 
justification  for  the  hateful  persecutions  to  which  these  xmfor- 
tunate  people  have  been  the  victims  in  every  age.  At  the 
present  day,  thanks  to  progress  and  civilization,  slavery  is 
abolished  in  most  parts  of  the  globe,  and  its  last  remnants  will 
not  be  slow  to  disappear.  And  thus  will  be  swept  away,  to  the 
honour  of  humanity,  a  barbarous  custom,  the  imhappy  inherit- 
ance of  former  times,  repudiated  by  the  modem  spirit  of  charity 
and  brotherhood;  and  with  it  will  vanish  the  infamous  traffic 
which  is  called  the  slave-trade. 

No  little  time  will,  however,  be  needed  in  order  to  confer  social 
equahty  on  the  enfranchised  Negro.  We  cannot  well  express 
the  scorn  with  which  the  liberated  blacks  are  treated  in  North 
and  South  America,  They  are  hardly  looked  on  as  human 
beings,  and  notwithstanding  the  abolition  of  slavery',  are  in- 
variably kept  aloof  from  the  white  population.     Centuries  will 


WESTERN    BRANCH. 

be  reqiiired  to  eS&ce  among  Americana  this  rooted  prejudic* 
which  France  herself  has  liad  some  trouble  in  shaking  off,  s 
an  edict  of  Louis  XIV.  cancelled  the  rank  of  any  noble  who  allied 
himself  with  a  Negress,  or  even  with  a  mulatto  woman. 

The  general  assuagement  of  manners  and  customs  will  ulti 
mately,  it  must  be  hoped,  entirely  obliterate  these  distinctions,  t 
cruel  and  unjust  to  the  unliappy  people  whom  a  fatal  destiny  has 
condemned  to  a  state  of  perpetual  martj-rdom,  without  their 
Laving  dune  anything  to  deserve  it,  beyond  coming  into  the 
world  beneath  an  African  sky. 


CHAPTER  n. 

EASTERN    BRANCH. 

The  Eastern  Blacks,  who  have  also  been  called  Melanesians 
and  Oceanian  Negroes,  inhabit  the  western  part  of  Oceania  and 
the  south-east  of  Asia.  Their  complexion  is  very  brown,  some- 
times increasing  in  darkness  until  it  reaches  intense  black. 
Their  hair  is  frizzled,  crisp,  flaky,  and  occasionally  woolly. 
Their  features  are  disagreeble,  then*  figures  of  little  regularity, 
and  their  extremities  often  lank.  They  live  in  tribes  or  small 
divisions,  without  forming  themselves  into  nationalities. 

We  shall  divide  them  into  two  groups,  one,  the  Papuan 
Family,  composed  of  peoples  among  whom  the  characteristics 
indicated  above,  are  the  most  developed ;  the  other,  the  Anda- 
man Family,  made  up  of  tribes  which  more  resemble  the 
Brown  Race,  and  probably  result  from  a  mixture  of  it  with 
the  Black  one. 

Papuan  Family. 

The  Papuan  Family  seems  to  dwell  only  in  small  islands  or  on 
the  coasts  of  larger  ones.  Two  groups  of  peoples  are  observable 
in  it,  one,  resembling  the  Malays,  consists  of  the  Papuans,  who 
inhabit  the  New  Guinea  Archipelago,  and  the  other,  resem- 
bling the  Tabuans,  occupies  the  Fiji  Islands,  the  New  Hebrides, 
New  Caledonia,  and  the  Solomon  range.  We  proceed  to  say 
a  few  words  as  to  the  manners  and  customs  of  these  different 
sections  of  the  Black  Race. 

Papuans. — ^A  remarkable  feature  presented  by  the  Papuans, 
is  the  enormous  bulk  of  their  half-woolly  hair.  Their  skin 
is  dark  brown,  their  hair  black,   and  their    beard,   which  is 


THC   HfVAN    RACK 


i 

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ifl 

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^HH 

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Ldn  or  MEW   CUITiEA 


Black 


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h 


THE   BLACK   RACE.  619 

scanty,  is,  as  well  as  their  eyebrows  and  eyes,  of  the  same  colour. 
Though  they  have  rather  flat  noses,  thick  lips  and  broad  cheek- 
bones, their  countenance  is  by  no  means  unpleasant.  The 
women  are  more  ugly  than  the  men,  their  withered  figures, 
hanging  breasts,  and  masculine  features  render  them  disagreea- 
ble to  the  sight,  and  even  the  young  girls  have  a  far  from 
attractive  look. 

Lesson  considered  the  Papuans  fierce,  inhospitable,  crafty 
men,  but  the  inhabitants  of  Havre  de  Doresy  and  generally 
of  the  northern  part  of  this  Oceanic  region,  as  far  as  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  seemed  to  him  of  great  mildness  and  more 
disposed  to  fly  from  Europeans  than  to  hurt  them.  He  tliinks, 
nevertheless,  that  the  Negroes  in  the  south  of  New  Guinea, 
pushed  back  into  that  part  of  the  island,  and  whom  no  inter- 
mixture has  altered,  have  preserv^ed  their  savage  habits  and  rude 
independence.  The  state  of  perpetual  hostility  in  which  they  live 
renders  their  character  distrustful  and  suspicious.  Never  did 
Lesson  visit  a  \dllage,  in  a  small  boat  manned  by  a  fair  number 
of  men,  that  women,  children,  old  men,  and  warriors  did  not  take 
to  flight  in  their  large  canoes,  canning  off"  with  them  their 
movables  and  most  precious  effects.  He  adds,  that  by  good 
treatment  and  plenty  of  presents,  people  may  succeed  in  making 
way  with  them,  may  be  able  to  lull  their  uneasiness  and 
establish  friendly  relations.  The  coloured  Plate  accompanying 
this  i^art  of  the  work  represents  a  native  of  the  Papuan 
Islands. 

Vitians, — The  first  accurate  infoiTaation  about  the  Viti  or 
Fiji  Islands  is  due  to  Dumont  d'Urville.  Mr.  Macdonald,  an 
assistant-surgeon  on  board  the  EngUsli  ship  Herald,  has  pub- 
lished an  account  of  his  visit  to  Fiji,  and  from  it  we  extract  the 
following  i)articulars. 

Thakombau  (fig.  234),  the  king,  was  a  man  of  powerful  and 
almost  gigantic  stature,  with  well-formed  limbs  of  fine  propor- 
tions. His  appearance,  which  was  further  removed  from  the 
Negro  type  than  that  of  other  individuals  of  lower  rank, 
sprung  from  the  same  stock,  was  agreeable  and  intelligent. 
His  hair  was  carefully  turned  up,  dressed  in  accordance  with 
the  stylish  fashion  of  the  coimtry,  and  covered  with  a  sort 
of  brown  gauze.    His  neck  and   broad  chest  were  both  un- 


THE    BLACK    BACK 


covered,  and  his  naked  skin  might  be  seen,  of  a  clear  black 
colour.  Near  him  was  his  favourite  wife,  a  rather  large  woman 
with  smiling  features,  as  well  as  his  eon  and  heir,  a  fine  child  of 
from  eight  to  nine  years  old.     His  majesty  was  also  surrounded 


234.— THAKOMBAU,    KING    Ot    THE    FIJI    ISLAND. 

at  respectful  distance  by  a  crowd  of  courtiers,  humbly  clinging 
on  their  knees. 

In  the  course  of  his  peregrinations,  Mr.  Slacdonald  was  present 

kt  a  repast,  consisting  of  pork,  ignames,  and  taro,"  served  in 

wooden  dishes  by  women.     Freshwater  shell-fish  of  the  cj-prin^ 

*  The  natiTe  iDbstitiite  for  bmul. 


EASTERN    BRAlfCB. 


621 


Jdnd  completed  the  banquet.     The  broth  was  very  savoury,  but 
the  meat  insipid.     During  the  conversation  which  followed,  the 
traveller  became  convinced  that  gossip  is  a  natural  gift  of  the 
Fijians.     Figs.  235  and  236  represent  types  of  these  people. 
The  Fijians  are  fond  of  assembling  to  hear  the  local  news, 


or  to  narrate  old  legends.  Respect  for  their  cliiefs  is  always 
preserved  unalterable  among  tliis  people,  turbulent  in  their 
behaviour,  depraved  in  their  instincts,  and  familiar  with  mm-der, 
robbei^',  and  lying.  The  homage  paid  to  their  chiefs  makes 
itself  manifest  both  by  word  and  action ;  men  lower  their 
weapons,  take  the  worst  sides  of  the  paths,  and  bow  humbly  as 
-one  of  the  privileged*  order  passes  by.     One  of  the  oddest  forms 


fiS2  THE   BLACK    RACE. 

taken  by  this  obsequiousness  is  a  custom  in  accordance  with 
which  every  mfenor  who  sees  his  chief  tnp  and  &11,  allows 
himself  to  stumble  m  hia  turn  in  order  to  attract  towards  himself 
the  ridicule  wluch  such  an  accident  might  have  the  effect  of 
drawing  upon  his  superior 

The  different  classes  or  castes  mto  which  the  Fijian  population 


SATIVB    OF    RJI. 


is  divided,  are  as  follows :  1,  sovereigns  of  several  islands ; 
2,  chiefs  of  single  islands,  or  of  districts  ;  3,  village  chiefs,  and 
those  of  fisheries ;  4,  eminent  warriors,  but  bom  in  an  inferior 
station,  master  carpenters,  and  heads  of  turtle-fisheries ;  6,  the 
common  people ;  and  6,  slaves  taken  in  war. 

The  horrible  custom  of  eating  humau  flesh  still  e^ts  in  Fiji ; 
the  missionaries  have  succeeded  in  bringing  about  its  disappear- 
ance in  some  pai-ts  of  the  island,  but  it  remains  in  the  interior 


EASTERN    BRANCH,  523 

districts,  concealing  itself,  however,  and  no  longer  glorying  in  the 
number  of  victims  devonred!  Cannibalism  does  not  owe  its 
existence  among  tlie  Fijians,  as  in  most  savage  tribes,  to  a  feeling 
of  revenge  pushed  to  the  utmost  limits ;  it  arises  there  from  an 


especial  cra\-ing  for  human  flesh.  But  as  this  choice  dish  is  not 
sufficiently  abundant  to  satisfy  all  appetites,  the  chiefs  reserve  it 
exclusively  to  themselves,  and  only  by  extraordinaiy  favour  do 
they  give  up  a  morsel  of  the  esteemed  delicacy  to  their  inferiors. 
The   engraving  (fig.  297)  is   taken   from  a  sketch   made   by 


524  THE    BLACK   RACE. 

the  missionary  Thomas  Williams,  of  a  sort  of  temple  used  on 
occasions  of  cannibalism  in  Fiji.  The  four  persons  squatted  in 
front  of  the  edifice  are  victims  awaiting  their  doom,  and  whose 
bodies  will  afterwards  serve  for  the  feast  of  these  man-eaters. 

Mr.  Macdonald  discovered  that  the  custom  of  immolating 
widows  is  still  in  full  vigour  in  one  of  the  districts  of  the  island. 

Dancing  is  the  popular  diversion  of  the  Fiji  Islands.  The 
chant  by  which  it  is  usually  regulated  is  of  monotonous  rhythm, 
its  words  recalling  either  some  actual  circumstance  or  historical 
event.  The  dancers'  movements  are  slow  at  first,  growing  gradu- 
ally animated,  and  being  accompanied  by  gestures  of  the  hands 
and  inflections  of  the  body.  There  is  always  a  chief  to  direct 
the  performers.  A  bufi'oon  is  sometimes  brought  into  the  ring 
whose  grotesque  contortions  bring  applause  from  the  spectators. 

Two  bands,  one  of  musicians,  the  other  of  dancers,  take  part  in 
the  regular  dances  of  the  solemnities  at  Fiji  (fig.  288) ;  the 
first  usually  numbers  twenty,  and  the  other  from  a  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred,  individuals.  These  latter  are  covered  with 
their  richest  ornaments,  carry  clubs  or  spears,  and  execute  a 
series  of  vai'ied  evolutions,  marching,  halting,  and  running. 
As  the  entertainment  draws  towards  its  close  their*  motions 
increase  in  rapidit}',  their  action  acquires  more  liveliness  and 
vehemence,  wliile  their  feet  ai'e  stamped  heavily  on  the  ground, 
until  at  last  the  dancers,  quite  out  of  breath,  ejaculate  a  final 
^*  Wa-oo  !  *'  and  the  antics  cease. 

NeiC'Calcdonians, — The  inhabitants  of  New  Caledonia  belong 
to  the  branch  of  Oceanian  Negroes.  This  island,  hidden  in  the 
Equinoctial  Ocean,  is  a  French  possession,  and  has  been  marked 
out  for  the  reception  of  tliose  Communist  insurgents  and  incen- 
diaries arrested  in  Paris  in  June  1871,  after  the  "  seven  days* 
battle  *'  who  were  sentenced  to  transportation  by  the  courts- 
martial.  We  are  indebted  to  MM.  Victor  de  Hochas  and  J. 
Gamier  for  some  valuable  details  concerning  the  population  of 
the  colony. 

The  aborigines  of  New  Caledonia  have  a  sooty-black  skin; 
woolly,  crisp  hair  and  abundant  beard,  both  black  ;  a  broad,  flat 
nose  deeply  sunk  between  the  orbits ;  the  white  of  the  eye  blood- 
shot ;  large,  turned-out  lips ;  prominent  jaws ;  a  wide  mouth ; 
very  even  and  perfectly  white  teeth ;  slightly  projecting  cheek* 


626  THE   BLACK   RACK 

bones  ;  a  high^  narrow,  and  '  convex  forehead  ;  and  the  head 
flattened  between  the  temples.  Their  average  stature  is  at 
least  as  tall  as  that  of  the  French,  their  limbs  are  well-propor- 
tioned, and  their  development  of  both  chest  and  muscles  is 
generally  considerable. 

The  men  are  not  very  ugly,  many  even  showing  a  certain  regu- 
larity of  feature ;  and  some  tribes  on  the  east  coast  are  better 
favoured  than  the  rest  in  this  respect.  Figs.  239  and  240 
convey  a  fair  idea  of  the  male  population. 

The  ugliness  of  the  women  is  proverbial.  With  their  shaven 
heads  and  the  lobes  of  their  ears  horribly  perforated  or  pinked, 
they  present  a  revolting  appearance,  even  when  young  in  years. 
The  rude  toil  and  bad  treatment  to  which  they  are  subjected 
bring  upon  them  premature  old  age.  They  suckle  their  children 
for  a  long  period,  for  three  years  on  the  average,  and  sometimes 
for  five  or  six. 

Like  all  savages,  the  New- Caledonians  possess  an  exquisitely 
keen  sense  of  sight  and  heai'ing.  They  are  active  and  capable  of 
exerting  considerable  strength  for  a  short  effort,  but  have  no 
lasting  power.  Their  inability  to  support  fatigue  for  any  length 
of  time  doubtless  arises  from  tlie  nature  of  their  nourishment. 
They  swallow  really  nothing  bej'ond  sugary  and  feculent  vegetable 
food,  seldom  eating  meat,  the  true  source  of  the  sustainment  and 
recuperation  of  strength.  Their  island  suppHes  the  New-Caledo- 
nians with  no  quadmx^eds  which  they  can  capture  for  sustenance, 
and  they  possess  no  weapons  suitable  for  killing  birds. 

The  quantity  of  eatables  these  people  can  gorge  at  a  single  meal 
is  wonderful,  quite  three  times  as  much  as  an  Eiu^opean  would 
be  equal  to. 

M.  Gamier  visited  the  village  of  Hienghene.  Its  chief  came 
to  meet  the  travellers  and  presented  to  them  his  eldest  son, 
while  numbers  of  naked  warriors,  with  blackened  chests,  beards, 
and  faces,  stood  round  in  a  silent  and  motionless  group.  They 
might  have  been  taken  for  bronze  statues  were  it  not  for  their 
dai'k  and  sparkling  eyes  which  followed  the  smallest  gesture  of 
the  visitors. 

At  a  signal  from  the  chief,  several  youths  dashed  forward  and  in 
a  few  seconds  showered  down  from  the  cocoa-trees  a  hail  of  nuts, 
the  pulp  of  which  in  the  liquid  state  is  the  most  agreeable  drink 
imaginable  for  allaying  thirst. 


EASTERN    BRANCH. 


Tlie  Tillage  of  Hiengliene  is  one  of  tl  e  most  considerable  in  the 
island      Its  dwellings  are  shaped  like  beeluieb  and  are  crowned 


with   a  rude  statue  Burmoiinted   by  r   quantity  of  shell-fish   or 
sometimes  by  skulls  of  enemies  slain  in  war. 


528  THE    BLACK    RACE. 

These  cabins  have  a  single  opening,  very  low  and  narrow.  In 
the  evening  they  are  filled  with  smoke  in  order  to  banish  the 
mosquitoes  ;  the  narrow  aperture  is  then  shut  and  the  occupants 
lay  themselves  down  to  sleep  on  mats,  whilst  the  smoke,  by 
reason  of  its  lightness,  remains  floating  over  their  header^  but  to 
sit  upright  without  being  half  smothered  by  it  is  impossible. 

Great  numbers  of  aborigines  dwell  along  the  sea-coast.  They 
came  on  board  M.  Gamier's  vessel  in  crowds,  bringing  provisions 
and  shell-fish,  and  examining  everjiliing  with  the  greatest 
attention. 

The  natives  of  this  tribe  are  of  a  fine  type.  M.  Gamier  noticed 
among  the  visitors  several  men  admirably  built,  and  with  a 
perfectly  developed  muscular  system;  but  he  nevertheless  re- 
marked as  a  general  defect  of  the  New  Caledonians,  that  they 
have  too  thin  legs  in  comparison  with  their  bodies,  and  calves 
placed  higher  than  in  Europeans. 

Whether  from  habit,  or  in  consequence  of  anatomical  formation, 
these  people  assume  positions  at  everj^  moment  which  woidd 
fatigue  us  terribly.  They  sit  down  on  their  heels  for  whole  days, 
and  when  they  climb  up  into  a  cocoa-tree,  or  rest  themselves  by 
the  way,  place  themselves  without  any  effort  in  postures  thiA  • 
are  really  sui-prising. 

The  singular  fancy  which  some  of  these  tribes  have  for  clay^ 
has  been  already  noticed,  and  M.  Gamier  convinced  himself  of 
the  reality  of  the  fact.  The  earth  in  question,  is  a  silicate  of 
magnesia,  greenish  in  coloui\  It  is  ground  by  the  teeth  into  a 
soft,  fine  dust,  by  no  means  disagi*eeable  in  taste.  The  habit  of 
eating  this  clay,  is,  however,  far  from  general ;  women  only,  in 
certain  cases  of  illness,  take  a  few  pinches  of  it. 

M.  Gamier  had  an  opportunity  of  being  present  at  the 
pilou'pilmi,  a  dancing  festival  which  takes  place  on  the  occasion 
of  the  igname  harvest.  On  a  piece  of  high  but  level  ground, 
overlooking  a  vast  plain,  were  seated  the  chiefs  and  old  men ; 
the  crowd  were  assembled  below,  and  in  front  of  them  was 
piled  a  huge  heap  of  ignames.  Thirty  or  forty  youngsters, 
selected  fr*om  the  handsomest  of  the  tribe,  advanced  and  each 
took  a  load,  and  then  ascended  the  plateau  in  a  body,  all  dash- 
ing at  full  speed  to  lay  their  burdens  at  the  feet  of  the  chiefs. 
Then,  still  ininning,  they  returned  to  the  great  mass  of  ignames 
to  carry  away  a  fresh  cargo,  and  so  on  xmtil  the  whole  pile  dis- 


240,— S4TIVE    OF    SBW    CUEDOHIA. 


530  THE    BLACK    RACE. 

appeared.  They  were  pursued  during  this  wild  race  by  the 
yelling  crowd,  bounding  around  them  with  brandished  weapons. 
Every  European  would  have  been  interested  in  this  strange  spec- 
tacle ;  but  a  painter  or  a  sculptor  would  have  never  grown  weary 
of  admiring  the  forms  of  the  young  performers :  finer  artistic 
models  have  seldom  '*  posed  "  in  any  studio. 

This  fete  was  interrupted  by  a  mock  fight,  during  which  the 
warriors,  either  in  complete  nudity  or  with  gaudy  cloths  tied 
round  their  waists,  wlm-led  their  weapons  about  as  they  kept 
bounding,  yelling,  and  taunting  their  adversaries.  The  old 
withered  men,  whose  hands  could  throw  neither  stone  nor  javelin, 
animated  the  corn-age  of  the  young  people  and  showered  insults 
on  their  opponents. 

We  are  unable  to  retrace  in  its  entirety,  the  curious  and 
graphic  description  which  M.  Gamier  has  given  of  this  contest, 
but  a  scene  of  cannibalism  at  which  he  was  present,  is  too 
dramatic  to  be  passed  over. 

Near  a  large  fire  sat  a  dozen  men,  in  whom  the  traveller 
recognized  the  chiefs  he  had  seen  in  the  morning,  and  pieces  of 
smoking  meat  surrounded  with  ignames  and  taros  were  laid  on 
broad  banana  leaves  before  them.  The  bodies  of  some  unfor- 
tunate Avretches  killed  dimng  the  day,  supplied  the  materials  for 
this  ghastly  banquet,  and  the  hole  in  which  their  limbs  had  just 
been  cooked  was  still  there.  A  savage  joy  was  pictured  on  the 
faces  of  these  demons.  Both  hands  grasped  their  horrid  food. 
An  old  chief  with  a  long  white  beard  did  not  seem  to  enjoy  so 
formidable  an  appetite  as  liis  comrades.  Leaving  aside  the 
thigh-bone  and  the  thick  layer  of  flesh  accompanying  it  which 
had  been  served  liim,  he  contented  himself  with  nibbling  a  head. 
He  had  ah-eady  removed  all  the  meaty  parts,  the  nose  and  cheeks, 
but  the  eyes  remained.  The  old  epicure  took  a  bit  of  pointed 
stick  and  thrust  it  into  both  i)upils,  then  shook  the  homd  skull 
imtil  bit  by  bit  he  brought  out  the  brain ;  but  as  this  process 
was  not  quick  enough,  he  put  the  back  of  the  head  into  the 
flames,  and  the  rest  of  the  cerebral  substance  dropped  out  with- 
out diflSculty  !  .  .  .  . 


EASTERN    BRANCH.  631 


AxDA^L/LN  Family. 

We  comprise  in  tlie  Andaman  Family  those  Eastern  blacks 
"who  i^ossess  the  characteristics  of  the  Negro  race  strongly 
marked.  These  nations  are  as  yet  but  little  known.  The 
inhabitants  of  New  Guinea,  the  aborigines  of  the  Andaman  Isles, 
in  the  bay  of  Bengal,  the  blacks  of  tlie  Malacca  peninsula,  those 
dwelling  in  some  of  tlie  mountains  of  Indo-China,  the  natives  of 
Tasmania,  and,  finally,  the  indigenous  population  of  Australia 
are  included  in  this  gi'oup. 

Among  all  these  people  the  facial  angle  does  not  exceed 
60  degi'ees ;  tlie  mouth  is  very  large,  the  nose  broad  and  flat,  the 
arms  short,  the  legs  lank}',  and  the  complexion  the  colour  of 
soot.     The  women  are  i^ositively  hideous. 

The  tribes  which  form  these  groups  are,  in  general,  numerous 
and  subject  to  the  arbitrary  authority  of  a  chief.  Language  is 
extremely  limited  among  them  ;  they  possess  neither  government, 
laws,  nor  regularly  established  ceremonies,  and  some  do  not  even 
know  how  to  construct  places  of  abode. 

In  order  to  convey  to  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  people 
composing  the  Andaman  Family  we  shall  give  a  glance  at  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Andaman  Isles  and  also  at  those  of  Australia. 

Andamans, — The  dwellings  of  the  Andamans  are  of  the  most 
rudimentary  kind,  being  hardly  superior  to  the  dens  of  wild 
beasts.  Four  posts  covered  with  a  roof  of  palm-leaves  constitute 
these  lairs,  which  are  open  to  every  wind,  and  **  ornamented " 
with  hogs'  bones,  turtle  shells,  and  large  dried  fish  tied  in 
bunches. 

As  for  the  inhabitants  themselves,  they  are  of  an  ebon  black. 

They  seldom  exceed  five  feet  m  stature ;  their  heads  are  broad 

and  buried  between  their  shoulders  ;  and  theii*  hair  is  W00II3',  like 

that  of  the  African  blacks.     The  abdomen  is  protuberant  in  a 

great  many  cases,  and  their  lower  limbs  lank.     They  go  about  in 

a  state  of  complete  nudit}',  merely  taking  care  to  cover  the  entire 

body  with  a  layer  of  j^ellow  ochre  or  clay,  w  hich  protects  it  from 

the  sting  of  insects.     They  paint  their  faces  and  spiinkle  thqir 

hair  with  red  ochi'e. 

Their  weapons  are,  however,  manufactured  with  much  clever- 

u  u  2 


532  THE    BLACK    RACR 

ness.  Their  bows,  wliich  require  a  very  strong  pull,  are  made  of 
a  sort  of  iron-wood  and  gracefully  shaped.  Their  arrows  are 
tipped  witli  fine  points,  some  of  them  barbed,  and  they  shoot 
them  with  much  skill.  They  handle  expertly  their  short  paddles, 
marked  with  red  ochre,  and  hollow  their  canoes  with  a  rather 
rude  implement  foimed  of  a  hard  and  sharp  stone  fastened  to  a 
handle  by  means  of  a  strong  cord  made  from  vegetable  fibres. 

The  Andamans  are  ichthyophagists,  for  the  seas  which  wash 
their  islands  abound  in  excellent  fish  and  palatable  mollusks. 
Soles,  mullets,  and  oysters  constitute  the  staple  of  their  food,  and 
when  during  tempestuous  weather  fish  runs  short,  they  eat  the 
lizards,  rats,  and  mice  which  swarm  in  the  woods. 

Though  not  cannibals,  the  Andamans  are  nevertheless  a  most 
savage  race,  who  do  not  even  exist  in  a  state  of  tribedom,  but 
w-ho  are  merely  gathered  into  gangs. 

The  bitterest  contempt  has  been  lavished  on  these  rude 
inhabitants  of  the  islands  of  Bengal,  and  people  have  been 
willing  to  consider  them  as  brutes  of  the  worst  cruelty,  and 
most  extreme  ugliness  ;  but  more  recent  observation,  and  the  few 
facts  which  we  have  mentioned,  show  that  this  estimate  should  be 
somewhat  mitigated. 

Australian  Blades. — We  have  arrived  at  the  black  people  who 
occupy  2)art  of  Australia,  and  take  advantage  of  some  valuable  in- 
formation concerning  them,  found  in  M.  H.  de  CasteUa's 
"  Souvenirs  d*un  Squatter  Franfais  en  Australie,"  and  which 
was  acquired  by  the  author's  personal  experience  of  these  uncouth 
beings. 

The  wild  state  in  which  the  aborigines  of  Australia  exist  is  the 
result  of  the  poveiiy  of  their  country,  which  a£fords  no  other 
source  of  sustenance  than  animals.  True,  these  abound  there ; 
kangaroos,  squirrels,  opossums,  wild-cats,  and  birds  of  all  kinds 
are  so  numerous,  that  the.  natives  need,  as  it  were,  only  stretdi 
out  their  hands  in  order  to  take  them.  In  this  mild  climate 
they  can  live  without  any  shelter. 

According  to  M.  de  Castella,  the  Negroes  of  Australia  are  not 
so  ugly  as  they  have  been  represented.  Among  the  men  whom 
he  examined,  some  were  tall  and  well  made.  Their  slow,  loung- 
ing gait,  was  not  devoid  of  dignity,  and  the  solemnity  of  their 
step  reminded  one  of  the  strut  of  a  tragedian  on  the  stage. 


534  THE    BLACK    RACE. 

The  Australian  blacks  recognize  family  ties.  None  of  them 
have  more  than  one  vnte,  but  they  do  not  many  within  their  ovra 
particular  tribe.  They  live  encamped  in  bands,  and  now  that 
they  are  reduced  to  small  numbers,  in  entire  tribes.  They  do  not 
build  permanent  huts,  but  protect  themselves  in  summer  from 
the  sun  and  hot  winds  merely  by  a  heap  of  gum-tree  branches, 
piled  up  against  some  sticks  thrust  in  the  ground.  Wlien  winter 
comes  on,  they  strip  fi'oni  the  ti'ees  large  pieces  of  bark,  eight 
or  ten  feet  high,  and  as  wide  as  the  whole  circumference  of  the 
trunk,  forming  with  these  fragments  a  screen,  which  they  i)lace 
nt  the  side  whence  the  rain  is  blowing,  and  alter  if  the  wind 
happens  to  change.  Squatted  on  the.  bare  earth,  in  the  opossum 
skin  which  serves  the  double  purpose  of  bed  and  clothing,  each 
of  tliem  is  placed  before  a  hearth  of  his  own.  Fig.  241  is  an 
engraving  taken  from  a  photograph  of  Australian  natives. 

The  Australian  Negroes  of  the  j^resent  day  have  gmis,  and 
employ  little  axes  for  chopping  their  wood  and  cutting  bark,  but 
it  .is  not  so  long  since  the*  only  weapons  they  possessed  were 
made  of  hard  wood,  and  their  hatchets  consisted  of  sharp  stones 
fastened  to  the  end  of  sticks,  like  the  flint  instruments  used  by 
men  before  the  Deluge.  There  is  in  fact  little  or  no  diflference 
between  the  people  of  the  age  of  stone,  and  the  Negi'oes  of 
Australia,  and  consequently  an  acquaintance  with  the  wild 
manners  and  customs  of  these  races  has  been  of  great  advantage 
to  natm*alists  of  our  day  in  throwing  liglit  upon  the  history  of 
primitive  man. 

M.  H.  de  Castella  was  gi'eatly  struck  by  tlie  agility  of  the 
Australian  blacks  in  climbing  gum-trees  whose  stnught  stems 
are  often  devoid  of  branches  for  twenty  or  thu-ty  feet  from  their 
base,  and  are  besides  too  thick  to  be  clasped.  "When  by  perfect 
prodigies  of  acrobatism  the  native  reached  the  wild  cats  and 
opossums'  nests,  he  seized  the  animals,  and  thi-ew  them  to  liis 
wife. 

This  wife  earned  everything ;  her  last-bom  in  a  reed  basket 
hanging  from  her  neck,  the  slaughtered  game  in  one  hand,  and  in 
the  other  a  blazing  gum  branch,  to  light  the  fire  when  the  family 
took  up  fresh  quarters.  The  man  walked  in  front,  carr>'ing 
notliing  but  his  weapons ;  then  came  the  wife,  and  after  her, 
theii*  children  according  to  height. 

A  batch  of  Australian  blacks  is  never,  by  any  chance,  to  be  met 


EASTERN    BRANCH.  639 

wulking  abrenst,  even  when  in  great  numbers,  and  if  a  whole  tribe 
is  crossing  the  plains,  only  a  long  black  file  is  to  be  seen  moving 
above  the  liigli  grass. 

M.  de  Castella  was  a  spectator  of  the  curious  sight  which  eel- 
fishing  affords  among  these  nntives.     Holding  a  spear  in  each 


hand,  witli  which  to  rake  up  the  bottom,  they  wade  through  the 
water  up  to  their  waists,  balancing  and  regulating  their  movements 
to  the  even  measure  of  one  of  their  cliants.  ^Mien  an  eel  is 
transtixed  by  a  stroke  of  one  lance,  they  pierce  it  in  another  part 
of  the  body  with  the  second,  and  then,  holding  the  two  points 


THE    BLACK    RACE. 


apart,   throw  the   fish   upon   the    ground,   the   quantity   which 
they   take   in   this   manner  being    enormous.      They   dispense 


with  saucepans  and  cooking  ntsnsils  of  nil  kinds  in  the  pre- 
paration of  their  meals,  simply  placing  tlie  game  or  tish  on 
blight  coals  covered  over  with  a  little  a^h^s. 


EASTERN    BRANCH.  637 

Ever}'one  has  heard  of  the  skill  with  which  savages  navigate 
their  rivers  in  bark  canoes,  but  the  people  of  whom  we  are  now 
speaking  render  themselves  remarkable  above  all  others  by  their 
adroitness  in  guiding  their  little  crafts  over  the  rapids.  Only 
two  persons  can  sit  in  their  boats,  while  a  spear  suj^plies  the 
place  of  an  oar,  and  is  used  with  astonishing  dexterity. 

No  one  acquainted  with  this  kind  of  barbarous  life  will  be 
surprised  to  hear  that  the  blacks  of  Australia  are  diminishing 
at  a  wonderfully  quick  rate.  Of  the  whole  Varra  tribe,  formerly 
a  numerous  one,  M.  de  Castella  could  find  no  more  than  seven- 
teen individuals. 

What  most  struck  the  author  of  an  account  of  a  journey  from 
Sydney  to  Adelaide,  which  appeared  in  the  **  Tour  du  Monde,"  in 
1860,  was  tlie  small  nmnber  of  aborigines  which  he  met  in  a 
distance  of  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  Sturt  and 
Mitchell,  in  the  middle  of  the  present  century,  had  visited  tribes 
on  the  higher  tributaries  of  the  Murray  river,  which  then  consisted 
of  several  hundred  persons,  but  M.  de  Castella  found  them  only 
represented  by  scattered  groups  of  seven  or  eight  famished  in- 
dividuals. Fig.  242  portrays  one  of  the  types  sketched  by 
this  gentleman. 

Mitchell  has  given  a  description  in  his  ''Travels,"  of  the 
''groves  of  death" — those  romantic  burial-places  of  the  Aus- 
tralians— but  the  writer  in  the  **  Tour  du  Monde  "  found  them  no 
longer  in  existence.  The  tombs  of  the  natives  at  the  present  day 
are  as  wild  and  rude  as  themselves.  In  the  bleak  deserts  of  the 
land  of  the  West  four  branches  driven  into  the  ground  and 
crossed  at  the  top  by  a  couple  more  (fig.  243),  supi^ort  the 
mortal  remains  of  the  Australian  aborighial,  whose  only  winding 
sheet  is  the  skin  of  a  kangaroo. 


INDEX. 


AnABDEHS,  362 

Abases,  204 

Abipones,  420 

Ahoniw,  360 

Abiuzzans,  104 

Abstraction,  a  faculty  of  man,  1 

Abyssinians,  3i5/>,  357 

Abyssinian  Christians,  360 

—  Family,  355 

—  religion,  360 

—  soldiers,  360 

—  type,  355,  357 
AvJtwjij^  427 
Acquajolo,  105 
Afghans,  190,  190 

Africa,  original  population  of,  11 

—  populations  of,  355 
Agglutinative  languages,  9,  32 
Agora,  154 

Agows,  357 

Agricultural  stage  of  Man,  35 

Aguilots,  425 

Ainos,  210 

—  type,  210 
Alauians,  70 

Albanians,  149,  152,  160,  161,  162 

Alfusus,  375 

Algon(piin3,  460,  472 

Alphabetic  writing,  33 

Aluti  River,  109 

Amakisas,  496 

Amapeudas,  496 

Amathvmbas,  496 

Amazulas,  496 

American  Indians,  404,  416,  460,  471 

—  type,  65 
Amvif  166 
Amin-el'Oumcva^  166 
Anahuac,  452 

Ancient  Chinese  writing,  2S2 

—  Egyptians,  173 


Ancient  Etruscans,  93,  101 

—  lllyrians,  160 

—  Incas,  408 

—  Mexicans,  405,  454 

—  Peruvians,  405 

—  Persian  type,  191 
Andaman  Family,  532 

—  Islanders,  532 
Andian  Family,  407 
An  (I  ask  all  ^  342 
Angles,  ^r> 
Annamites,  324 

Antis  Indians,  407,  410,  411 

—  customs,  412,  413,  414,  415 

—  religion,  416 

—  type,  411 
Apaches,  47<>,  4S1 
Apolistas,  410 
Apontis,  444 
A([uitauian5J,  66 
Arab  type,  184 
Arabs,  183 

—  nomadic,  184 

—  Shegya,  184 
Aramaic  Race,  163 

Aramean  Branch  of  "White  Race,  40,  163 

—  civilisation,  163 
Araocas,  449 
Arapahoes,  470 
Araucanians,  407,  416 
Arcadians,  150 
Arch,  166 

Ardschis  River,  109 
Aristocracy,  English,  62 
Armenians,  190,  201 

—  in  Turkey,  253 
Armenian  population,  202 

—  religion,  202 

—  type,  201 
Artisans,  French,  76 
Aryans,  353 


HO 


UCDEX. 


Aiyan  Bacc,  10,  40 

Asia,  original  population  of,  11 

Assyrians,  188 

Atacamas,  407,  410 

Athens,  157 

Athenian  type,  160 

Australian  aboriginals,  588 

—  native  customs,  581,  586 

—  native  tombs,  538 
Ayams,  248 
Aymaras,  407,  410 
Aztecs,  451 

Bakttax,  199 

Bambara,  864 

Banians,  886 

Bankok,  880,  382 

Barabras,  357,  361 

Barabra  t3rpe,  861 

Barbotes,  428,  432,  440,  450,  492 

Baskirs,  129 

Bavaria,  48 

Batavians,  868 

Battas,  865,  878 

Bechnanas,  497,  498 

Bedouins,  183 

BtghUig,  191 

Behring's  Straits,  10 

Beloochees,  199 

Bengolese,  340 

Berbers,  163 

Beyram,  250 

Beys,  246 

Bible,  unity  of  Man  iioclaimeJ  in  tlie,  11 

Bicharyehs,  362 

Bielo-liussians,  118 

Big-Bellies,  470 

Blackfeet  Indiuns,  404 

Black  Race,  495 

Bohemians,  112 

Bol<is^  427 

Bolero y  90 

Bonzes,  259,  280 

Bosniaks,  113,  130,  141,  142,  143,  H5 

Botocudos,  435,  449 

Bougis,  365,  373 

Brahminisin,  336 

Brahmins,  836 

Brahnis,  201 

Brain  of  the  ope,  22 

—  of  man,  22 

—  of  the  negro,  508 
B]-azi!ian  Indian  customs,  448 


Bnudb'an  Indian  dwellings,  447 

British  Isles,  55 

Brown  Race,  885 

Bucharest,  109 

Buddhism,  163,  807,  319,  820,  322,  382 

Bulgarians,  118,  180 

Burgundians,  71 

Buriats,  218,  221 

Burlat  customs,  223 

Burmans,  824 

Burmese,  824 

Bushmen,  499 

Cadis,  246 

Caffro  Family,  496 

—  type,  496,  497 
Calabrians,  104 
Califomian  Indians,  493 
Cambodian  customs,  829 
Campagna,  The,  93 
Cangiu,  296 

[   Cannibalism,  Fijian,  523,  5J4 

—  Maori,  886 

—  New  Caledonian,  531 
Caper  fig-tree,  163 

,  Capital  punishment  in  China,  294 
Caprification  of  the  fig- tree,  168, 16:\  170 
Capuans,  108 
Caravanserai,  240 
Caribbean  Grouj),  450 
Caribs,  450 
Carinthia,  116 
Carniola,  116 

Caroline  Islanders,  400,  401 
Carpathian  Mountains,  109 
Carthaginians,  183 
Caryii,  444 
Caste,  847,  848 
Caths^,  272 
Caucasian  Bace,  40 
Cayuguas,  485 
Celtic  type,  57,  67 

—  weapons,  67 
Celts,  ee,  67 
Chaldeans,  186 
Changos,  186 

Characteristics  of  Man,  Intellectual,  30 

—  of  the  White  Kace,  40 
Charruas,  420 

Chaymas,  450 
Chen-elches,  422 
Cherokees,  478 
Chichimecas,  452 


INDEX. 


511 


Chicksaws,  478 
Chimehwebs,  484 
Chinese  agriculture,  271 

—  army,  300 

—  centralization,  256 

—  civilization,  36,  301 

—  corruption,  266 

—  court  of  justice,  295,  296,  298,  299 

—  customs,  262 

—  dinner,  268 

—  drama,  287 

—  eatinf;-liousc,  267 

—  education,  280,  2S1,  2S4 

—  Family,  256 
~    feet,  262 

—  fishing  (river),  274,  275,  276 

—  fishing  (sea),  274 

—  food,  278 

—  gambling,  265 

—  idleness,  264 

—  interior,  263 

—  irrigation,  271> 

—  juri.sj>rudonc'p,  200 

—  language,  2S4 

—  law  courts,  200,  2:U 

—  -     literature,  257 

—  marionettes,  2S8 

—  marriages,  261 

—  opium  smoking,  270 

—  pisciculture,  274 

—  polygamy,  2Gu 

—  printing,  286 

—  punishments,  2:^2,  2'.>4--2:>:; 

—  religion,  257 

—  religious  toleration,  2'S 

—  rice  fields,  273 

—  tea  houses,  206,  207 

—  theatres,  2S8 

—  type,  256 
--     ^Yoraen,  259 

—  writing,  ancient,  282 

—  writing,  modem,  282,  2S3,  284 
Chinooks,  493 

Chiotians,  158 
Chippeway  Indians,  463 
Chiquito.s,  420,  43i,  433,  434 
Chiriguanos,  444 
Choctaws,  478 
Choh\  342 
Chunipis,  425 
Cinp;alese  customs,  351 

—  costume,  351 

—  of  the  coast,  351 


Cingalese  of  the  hills,  351 

—  type,  350 

—  women,  350 
Circassian  Family,  163,  204 

—  slaves,  240 

—  type,  204 
Circulator)'  system  of  Man,  33 
Cirionos,  444 
Civilization,  Aramean,  163 

—  Chinese,  36,  301 

—  Egj-ptian,  36 

—  progress  of,  37 
Classification  of  Man,  Rlumcnbach's,  1$ 

—  —     Bory  de  Saint  Vincent's,  13 

—  —    Buffon's,  17 

—  —     Cuvier's,  18 

—  —    Demoulins',  18 

—  —    d'Omaliusd'Halloy.-',  19 

—  —    de  Quatref;iges' ,  19 

—  —     l^cepede's,  18 

—  —     Pritchaixi's,  18 
_     __    Virey's,  18 

—  of  the  Human  liace,  17,  38 
Clavel's  *' Races  Humaines,"  48,  5> 
Comanches,  480 

Confucius,  doctrines  of,  258,  ro; 
Coras,  459 
Cossacks,  120,  124 

—  of  the  Ukraine,  118 
Cosninos,  482 

Cranium,  brachycephalous,  25 

—  dolichocephalous,  25 

—  of  Man,  25 
Creation,  animal  centres  of,  8 

—  of  ^lan,  cause  of,  3 

—  —    in  the  quaternary  peiiol,  3 

—  —    manifold,  6 

—  —     special,  3 

—  one  human  centre  of,  6,  8 

—  vegetable  centres  of,  8 
Creek  Indians,  462,  478 
Croats,  113 

Crow  Indians,  468 
Cshatriyas,  336 
Cutchanas,  484 
Cymri,  67 

Dacfa,  106 
Dacotas,  464 
Datri,  313 
Dalmatians,  116 
Danes,  42,  46 
Danube,  109 


£42 

DmqIUti  PriDcipalitiea,  IDT 

Daourin,  TiingiiBtB  of,  283 
Seccan,  MO 
l)eccait  Hindocw,  S40 
Definition  of  Mnn,  1 

—  of  Race,  12,  13,14 

—  0fSpeQieB,12,  IS,  1* 

DeUirare^  474,  480 
Denmsrlc,  46 
J>hnmari,  160 
Dheli,  3i3 
Divan,  £47 
Djama,  166 
I^tlodat,  198 
lifjanua,  ISS 
DoUur,  168 
DoDROiUalis,  SSI 
Pruirts,  71 
Dnzea,  188,  250 


tell  I 


.■,55 


Djak  cuitfliTifl,  370,  STS 

—  head- cutters,  S76 

—  BUperBtitions,  376 
Dyalts,  366,  375 

EAiTEBii  Nnbians,  362 
Egyptian  civilization,  36 

—  ilantinj;  giria,  180 

—  iiiamngea,  175 

—  polygamy,  180 

—  Kailora,  179 

—  lype,  173 
Egyptians,  aiicitnt,  173 

moJcrn,  174 
Emmagcii,  42C 
Endrrmm,  106 
Enfilit*,  42 

—  orirtocracy,  62 

—  middle  class,  64 

—  l3Te,56,66,C7,65,6n,61, 62,63, 

64,  65 

—  ivomcn,  GO.  61 

—  workint;  class,  05 
Eatlioniana,  120 

Esqiiiioniut  customs,  £11,215,  213,  216, 
217 

—  dress,  214 

—  Family,  £06,  211 

—  type,  211 
Etruxcana,  andctit,  101 
Etniscau  sarcopliagi,  101 
Eoropean  Bnsch  tWIiiie  Race),  40 


Facial  angle,  26 

—  —    of  th«  Negro,  EOS 
FaUtbu,  S5T 

Fandango,  BO 

FehlM,  183 

FelUhs,  176, 177,  178, 179 

Fellans,  356,  3S3,  364 

Fellataha,  363 

Fc{fa,  247 

Fetishes,  512 

Fez,  1G4 

Fiji,  king  of,  520 

Fijian  cannibalism,  G23,  524 

—  dances,  S26 

Fijiaua,  fi20,  6£1,  522,  523,  624,  yii 
Fiolandera,  129 
Finns,  113,  12S,  129 

—  of  Eastern  Kusua,  127 

—  of  Silesia,  127 

—  of  the  Bailie,  127 
Flathead  Indians,  486,  4SG 
Flcniifili  luntTiuge,  6S 
Fondaiai,  321 

Franks,  71 
Frank  type,  71 

—  artisans,  76 

—  bourgeois,  77 

—  peasant,  76 

—  Koldier,  78 

—  type,  75,  76,  77,  78,  79,  80 

—  women,  71,  79,  80 
F,  i..ii.lly  Ulim.K-iN,  388 
FticBlfliiilic  laiijru,.^',',  E5 
Fundamental  languages  of  SJnn,  9 
F'jstan,  154 

GAT)iarEs,  435,  436 
Gaels,  68 
nalUs,  357,  363 
(iollic  customs,  69 

—  type,  fi7,  6S,  73 
Gomants,  367 
Uaula,  68 

Georgian  Family,  163,  203 

—  Klarea,  240 

—  type,  204 

—  womeu,  204 

'   Geimnnic  type,  SO,  51,  52,  G3,  SS 

Germans,  42,  47 
\   Gholaums,  191 
I   Giag-tmg  root,  269 
j   Ooths,  71 


Grand  Chaco.  425 
Grand  yhln,  247 
GriiiiEBr,  137,  HO,  1*1 
Greek  chorch,  249 

[nfle,:tcd  Inngnngos  U,  32 
InteEigenfo  of  Man,  1 

—    of  brutes,  1 
loniiiii^.  158 

513 

—    Funlif,  41, 149 

""•?V..  ...  .„ 

1S4 
type,  153,  1S3 
Or««k<  in  Tnikey,  !52 
GrovM  of  De«t}i,  G3S 
Gnanni,  407,  431,  439,  Hi 
Onutuuu,  449 
Ouniijr  lauKOBge,  444 

—    typa,  «S 
OoBrtjri,  444 
Onstoa  of  Cajabft,  43S 
Ouafqnniaa,  4S0 

Eadhailbbs,  3SS 


240 


»,  400 


Hebrem,  1S9 

Btgira,  239 

Hiftblaiidcra,  63 

Hindooi,  339 

Hindoo  cutee,  33fl,  346,  347,  34S 

—  chUBCteristics,  340 

—  civUimtion,  336 

—  cnstoma,  344,  31S 

—  food,  345 

—  ornaments,  342 

—  religion,  342 

—  society,  836 

—  typo,  339 
HindAstani,  34S 
Hupanians,  80 
Hospodars,  107 
Hottentots,  499 
Hottentot  tjrpe,  499,  501 

—  Venoi,  SOO 
HuBKtecas,  4S9 
Hnngariani,  48,  113 
Huns,  72,  14S 
UuroDB,  460,  4  S3 
Hyperborean  Branch  (Yellow  Bacc 

206 

Ibebiahb,  6S 

IceUndnt,  4S 

leniMiBii  Famify,  S06,  S17 

Indian  ptOM,  Nortli  Kmnkm,  i\ 

—  laagiiiVM  (iHt),  SM     . 

—  tenftMT,  478,  418 
Indo-ChinMt  Aadlr,  SM 


Iroqnoia,  462,  468,  472 
/«i«,121 
lachoniana,  129 
Italians,  66 
Italian  climate,  63 

—  type,  94 

Jakobites,  249 

JaloTitza  Siver,  109 

Jamah,  842 

Japanese,  25S,  302,  304,  306,  812,  329  ' 

—  Bonzea,  302,  320,  321,  322,  K» 

—  cbaracterls&s,  302,  308 

—  costume,  304,  305,  806 

—  government,  307 

—  literataro,  302 

—  manufactures,  306 

—  religion,  302,  307 

—  soldi  era,  303 

—  type,  304 

—  waapona,  313,  319 

—  writing,  302 
Jala,  340 

Javanese,  365.  367,  369 

—  costume,  368 

—  dancing  girls,  369 

—  princes,  369 

—  .triuketa,  371 

—  weddings,  371 
Jews.  183,  184,  186 
Jukagliinte  Family,  206,  217 

Eabtleb,  163- 
Kabyle  agricnltnre,  168 

—  typo.  165,  167 
Kabjlia,  165,  171 
Kachiutz,  127 
Kakim,  1»I 
Kaliongea,  493 
Kalmuks,  218 
Kalmnk  customs,  219 

—  type,219 
Kalva,  La,  242 
Saigam^S,  198 
Kuni^  807,  SIS 

—  nljglon,  SaO,  »t 
KMHtodMdda  Aidr.  9H^  M*  '       -^ 

—  tj^tta        .-  ■  ( 


64i 


DfDEX. 


Kandians,  850 
Kang^  262 
Kayoways,  470 
Eenoasy  861 
KeOkhoda,  101 
Khalkaa,  220 
Rhalkaaian  cnstoms,  221 

—  type,  221 
Khanotm^  166 
Khanmba,  166 
XhtHff'a,  166 
King  of  F\ji,  520 
Kioto,  810 
Kirghis,  282,  288 
Kodjuy  247 

Kopts,  174^  175,  176 
Koptic  language,  174 
J^oran,  247 

Kodak  famUy,  206,  217 
Koitsso,  861 
Kurds,  190,  201 
Kymes,  28 
Kyrials,  129 

Ladroxe  Islanders,  400 
Languages,  agglutinative,  32 

—  inflected,  82 

—  monosyllabic,  81 
Laplanders,  nomadic,  20S 

—  sedentary,  208 
Lapp  Family,  206,  207 

—  customs,  208 

—  type,  206 

—  women,  209 
Latins,  49,  66,  72 
I^tin  Family,  41,  C6,  93 

—  type,  66y  72 
Lencas,  459 

I^iiguas,  420,  425,  426,  427,  428 
Libyan  Family,  168 
Lithuanians,  118,  116 
Livonians,  129 

HacAskill  Islandeh-s  ^02 

Macassars,  865,  373 

Macedonians,  152 

Machicuys,  420,  428,  430,  432 

Madagascar,  864 

Magachs,  485,  486 

Magyars,  118,  146,  147,  148,  149 

Magyar  type,  149 

Maharuif  427 

Maliometanism,  163,  198,  250 


I 


Mahrattas,  840 

Malabar  Family,  889,  854 

Malay  Branch  (Brown  Race),  865 

—  customs,  866 

—  type,  865,  866 
Malaysia,  865 

Man,  agricultural  stage  of,  25 

—  birthplace  of,  8 

—  brain  of,  22 

—  carriage  of,  27 

—  colour  of,  29 

—  cranium  of,  25 

—  definition  of,  1 

—  divine  origin  of,  24 

—  fundamental  languages  of,  9 

—  types  of,  9 

—  hand  of,  23 

—  hunting  stage  of,  35 

^    —    intelligence  of,  1,  30 

—  language  of,  31 

—  moral  attributes  of,  33 

—  nervous  system  of,  29 

—  organization  of,  21 

—  origin  of,  3,  4,  8 

—  original  migrations  of,  9 

—  pastoral  stage  of,  35 

—  primitive  societies  of,  35 

—  senses  of,  22 

—  stature  of,  28 

—  unity  of,  16 

—  'WTiting  of,  32 
Manchiis,  223 

^landau  Indians,  492,  493 
ManiUa,  374 

^lanufactures,  primitive,  37 
Maoris,  381 
Maori  cannibalism,  386 

—  chiefs,  387 

—  costume,  381 

—  customs,  382,  38G 

—  dances,  385 

—  language,  385 

—  religion,  385 

—  type,  381 

—  weapons,  385 

—  women,  381 
Maratsi,  498 
Maroy  898 
Maronites,  188,  250 
Maronite  manuscripts,  190 
Maropas,  410 
Marquesans,  895 
Mataguayos,  420 


INDEX. 


646 


Melanesians,  519 
Mesopotamians,  186 
Messenians,  150 
Metscheriaks,  129 
Mexicans,  452 

—  ancient,  405,  454 

—  modern,  454,  455,  456,  458 
Mexican  Indians,  454 
Micronosians,  365,  400,  401,  402 
Mikado,  308,  309,  310,  311,   312,  313, 

314,  316,  317 
Military  Confines,  132,  140 
Mingrclians,  204 
Miridites,  162 
Mixtecas,  460 
Mnemonic  writing,  32 
Moadueinites,  129 
Mocdtenes,  410 
Mohawk  Indians,  484 
Mohicans,  460,  472 
Moldavians,  106 
Moldo-Walachians,  66,  105 
Mongolian  Branch  (Yellow  Race),  205, 218 
Mongols,  218,  220 
ilongrels,  15 
Montenegriners,  110 
Moorish  type,  87 
Moors,  172 
Morciy  Lay  97 
Moscas,  432,  434 
Moyas,  459 
Miidir,  252 
Mu/ti,  247 
Mulatto,  505 
Mnlgrave  Islanders,  401 
Muscognlges,  461 
Mutualis,  190 

Naiiuath,  406 

Nahuatlacas,  453 

Naibs,  246 

Natchez  Indians,  460,  472 

Navajoes,  481 

Nayas  Indians,  485,  486,  488,  490,  492 

Neapolitans,  104 

Negroes,  361,  501 

Negro,  brain  of,  508 

—  characteristics,  606,  508, 609,  612, 

614,  616,  616,  617 

—  cross  breeds,  606 

—  cruelty,  612 

—  facial  angle  o(  608 

—  imitative  talent  of,  616 


egro  memory,  614 

—  music,  616,  616 

—  religion,  612 

—  slavery,  610 

—  type,  502,  503,  604,  605 
Negus  Tlieodoms,  360 

Nervous  system  of  the  White  Man,  29 

—  of  the  Negro,  30 
Nestorians,  250 

New  Caledonians,  526,  527,  530 

New  Caledonian  cannibalism,  531 

New  Zealanders,  381,  382,  384,  385,  386 

Nigritia,  364 

Nogays,  232,  238 

Northern  Branch  (Red  Race),  451 

—  nortli-eastem  Family  of,  459 , 

—  north-western  Family  of,  493 

—  soutlicrn  Family  of,  451 
Northern  Italians,  101 
Norwegians,  42,  44 
Noubas,  361 

Nubians,  361,  362 

—  Eastern,  362 
Nubian  customs,  362 

—  niins,  362 

Oceania,  380 
Oceanian  negroes,  519 
Octoroons,  505 
Olmecas,  459 
Organization  of  Man,  21 
Origin  of  coloured  Races,  11 

—  Man,  3,  4,  8 
Orthognatliism,  26 
Osages,  478 
Osmanlis,  232,  239 
Osse tines,  190,  202 
Ostiaks,  129 

—  of  Temisia,  217 
Othomis,  460 
Oualan,  401 

Ouhil,  166 
Ouragas,  449 
Owas,  364 
Owhyhee,  397 

Pacha,  246 

Padishah,  244 

Pah-Utahs,  484 

Pai-agTum,  436 

Palanquins,  264 

Pampas,  419 

Pampean  Family,  407,  419 

N  N 


1146 


INDEX. 


Pandoora,  144 

PannoniaiiB,  116 

Papaaii  Family,  519 

Papnans,  520 

Paragaay,  485 

Parana,  435 

Pariahs,  887,  846,  848 

Patagonians,  420,  421 

Patagonian  customs,  421,  422,  424 

—  sacrifices,  424 

—  suture,  28,  420 
PiU(m-paUni,  885 
Pawnees,  470 
Payagoas,  487,  488,  440 
Payagnasian  customs^  440,  441 

—  stature,  487 
Payeg,  425,  441,  442,  448 
Pecheiays,  416,  417,  418,  419 
Pei-Ho  river,  274 

Peking  Imperial  College,  286 

Pennians,  129 

Persians,  168 

Persian  customs,  194,  195,  196,  198,  199 

—  Family,  190 

—  government,  191 

—  manufactures,  191 

—  population,  198 

—  religion,  198 

—  type,  ancient,  191 

—  type,  modern,  161 

—  visits,  199 

—  women,  197 
Peruvians,  ancient,  405,  408 

—  modem,  408,  409 
Peulils,  863 
Phanariots,  155 
Phariagots,  450 
Philippine  Islanders,  374 
Phuenicians,  183 
Piasts,  118 
Pilou-pUoUy  528 
Pitiligas,  425 

Poles,  48,  113 

Polygenists,  doctrines  of,  16 

Polynesian  customs,  880 

—  Family,  365,  380 
Pomotouans,  895 
Populations  of  Africa,  original,  11 

—  America,  original,  405 

—  Asia,  original,  11 

—  Europe,  original,  40,  41 
Portuguese,  80,  90 

—  type,  90 


Portuguese  women,  90 
Ponls,868 
Proddans,  108 
Prognathism,  26 
Prussians,  54 

—  type,  54 
Puelches,  420 
Pygmies,  28 

Quadroons,  505 
Quarries,  129 
Quichuan  type,  408 
Quichuas,  406,  407 

Race,  Black,  495 

—  Brown,  885 

—  definition  of,  12,  13,  14 

—  Red,  404 

—  White,  80 

—  YeUow,  205 
Races,  Human,  88 
Rajpoots,  886,  340 
Bamaxan^  250 
BebosaOf  454 

Red  Indian   characteristics,    470,   471, 
486,  492 

—  languages,  472 

—  type,  460 
Rdss  effendi,  247 
Rivobon-Sinton,  322 
Roman  peasants,  96 
Romanians,  72 
Romans,  93 
Rousniaks,  120 
Russian  type,  123 

—  women,  124 
Russians,  113,  120,  121,  122 
Russianit  (Bielo-),  118 
Ruthcnians,  118 

Sagaris,  127 
Sahara,  172 
Sahrang,  868,  371 
SaUatraa,  505 
Samchow,  266 
Samoiede  Family,  206,  209 
Sandwichians,  896,  897 
Sandwichian  morals,  899 

—  type,  896 

—  women,  896 
Sanskrit,  846 
8an49e'kingt  284 


Sarmatians,  114 
Sazans,  65 
Saion  tjpe,  18 
Scaiidinnrinns,  41 
SohiitB  sect,  238 
Sciiide,  natives  of,  353 
Scythians,  111 
Seminolca,  47S 
Skmhl-  Family,  183 
Semitics,  163 
Senses  of  anLmals,  22 

—    of  Man,  22 
Seraglio,  240 
Seirians,  113,  114,  130 
Shah,  191 

Shaniuiisni,  223,  329 
Shamans,  229 
ahawnecs,  480 
Shegya  Arabs,  164 
Sheilas,  163,    72 
Shiennes,  470 


324,  3. 


,331 


—  apiL'uUnre,  332 

—  Caniboilia,  331 

—  costnme,  325 

—  govemnicnt,  328 

—  Mahiccit,  331 

—  po|iuhitioii,  3'J4 

—  type,  324 
Sichiiaiia  laii;:pi3^(<,  497 
Siklis,  340 
Simnioleq,  460 

Sinaic  Bmnch  (Yellow  Race),  205,  2£4 
Sioux,  464 

—  tiwtoiiis,  484,  465,  466 
SiTaistii,  342 

Skin  of  Man,  colours  of,  29 
Slavonian  Family,  41,  113 
Slavoziiaiii,  ll8 

—  northern,  118,  119 

—  aouthem,  120 

Slavonian  tjiw,    13,  114,  118,  110,  133 
AVOlrtiiH,  134 

Slovacbians,  118 

Soff,  188 

Sosists,  I  S3 

Sounkina,  383 

Sounanis,  13S 

Southern  Braueh  (Red  Race),  407 

—  Italians,  103 

—  Italian  type,  103 
Spaniards,  66,  SO 


I   Spanish  ilances,  90 

—  inquisition,  88 

—  intolerance,  88 

\       —    type.  82,  83,  84,  85,  86,  67,  88 

I       -    women,  87 

I   Spartans,  150 

■   Siial}ias,  107 

I   SpcciM,  definition  of,  12,  13,  14 

I   Stature  of  Man,  28 

',   Stieng  savages,  332,  334 

!   Sudnis,  336 

i   Suerians,  71 

'   Simnite  sect,  236 

Swedes,  42 

Symbolical  writinj,',  33 

SyriniiB,  183,  186 

T,ibo«,  380,  391,  300 

Taliayari,  444 

Tacaiias,  4Il) 

Tadjiks,  190 

Tagalfi,  305,  373 

TtthitiauB,  301 

Tahitiac  customs.  393,  391,  39E 

—  tyiKi,  391,  39-1 


Taiuo 


t,  30J 


309,  310,  311,  312,  3!3,  316,  317 
Talctil-ian,  154 
Talaijiinl,  154 
TamanacH,  440 
Tnmboiikics,  407 
Tamej-i,  4*4 
TiiiiiiualiBfl,  498 
Tamuls,  354 
Tapij!oas,  444 
Tapinacjui,  444 
Tarascas,  459 
Talan,  112 

Tattooing,  382,  300,  425,  438 
Taygetana,  150 
Tcii^cks,      3 
TeiieroniiKsi 
T^lioudaiia, 
Tchourathijins,  128 
Telcouta,  127 
TeUnguB,  354 
Teinbeta,  440 
Tepanecas,  450 
Teptiara,  129 
Terra  del  Fuego,  *1H 
Territory,  Indian,  478,  478 
Teutonic  Family,  41 
ThiaciMM,  1S2 


us,  120 


548 


INDEX. 


nbboas,  168,  857,  863 

Tibbon  type,  868 

Tigr^  moantaineeiB,  860 

Hmmimnea,  444 

TobM,  420,  425,  428,  430 

Tobatingnas,  485 

Toki8,885] 

Toltecs,  452 

Tongaa,  888 

Tonga  cnstoma,  889,  890,  891 

—  typo,  888 
Topaa,  485 
Totonacs,  460 
TonarickiB,  168,  172 
Touloupa,  123 
Tolarenos,  498 
Tungoses,  218,  223 

X-    of  Daouria,  228 
Tongosian  Family,  223 
Tupi  language,  444 
Tupinambi,  444 
Tur%ja8,  875 
Turcomans,  232 
Turcoman  customs,  234,  235,  23fi 

—  religion,  235 
--    type,  232 

—  women,  232,  232,  234 
Turks,  218,  239,  244,  248 

Turkish  administration,  246,  247,  248 

—  agriculture,  252 

—  corruption,  248 

—  customs,  240,  242,  243,  24  4,  246 

—  education,  252 

—  Family,  229 

—  Jews,  250 

—  law,  244 

—  literature,  251,  262 

—  manufactures,  252 

—  polygamy,  240 

—  religion,  248 

—  temperance,  239 

—  type,  ancient,  230 

—  type,  modem,  231,  239 

—  women,  240,  241 
Tuscans,  101 

Tuscan  type,  101 
Tzapotecas,  459 


Vlema,2i7 
United  States,  65 
Uruguay,  435 
Uscoks,  116 
Uzbeks,  238 

Valencians,  87 
Vampays,  484 
Varcgians,  116 
Yama-Sancdra  (caste  of),  337 
Varra  tribe,  538 
Vativas,  497 
Venedians,  114 
Vogouls,  127,  129 

Walachianb,  105,  106,  111,  113 
Walacbian  minerals,  112 

—  type,  109 

Wall  of  China,  Great,  301 
"Walloons,  72 

Western  Branch  (Black  Kace),  490 
Western  Guarani,  444 
Writing,  alphabetic,  33 

—  Chinese,  282,  283,  284 

—  symbolical,  33 
Wurterabergers,  48 

XlCALAUCAS,  460 

Yakoubis,  18fi 

Yakuts,  218 

Yakut  customs,  226,  227,  228 

—  Family,  223 

—  religion,  226 

—  type,  224,  225 

—  women,  229 
Yankees,  65 
Yaschmac,  244 
Yeddo,  309 
Yellow  Race,  205 
Yuracaurcs,  410 
Yutos,  470. 

,   Zaskam,  112 
<   Ziguana,  112 
'   Zingari,353 
Zoroath  (religion  of),  193. 


BRADBURY,   RVANS,   AND  00.,   PRUmnS,   WHITRFRIAR8. 


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